2024 Culture Award

Inspired by a true story, an elderly woman recounts the tales of her ancestors from the glittering age of the Romanovs through today, and how their struggles, sacrifices, and perseverance has impacted her decision whether or not to have an operation to save her life.

Radhika, a young, Ceylon tea plantation worker is sent to work at the house of Chasley Rannoch, a ruggedly handsome, Scottish, estate superintendent. Her infatuation for him results in the shocking arrival of a baby, leading to a spiral of events of misfortune, scandal, intrigue and A Heritage Lost.

Tyler, a disenfranchised American expat, is trying to survive his first-year teaching in the Korean Hagwon system. As his self-isolating, culture-shock induced depression gets worse, however, he will need to draw on new resources to manage his deteriorating mental condition.

An American teen travels to her father's homeland, searching for answers about his death, and uncovers a secret that puts her in the crosshairs of a crime boss.

Genre: Poetry

The Last Words of Albion invites young readers on a poetic journey through the British Isles, exploring themes of history, culture, and climate change through haikus, perfect for sparking curiosity and critical thinking in children aged 9-12.

In this uplifting story about friendship, love, and growth, a thirty-three-year-old, emotionally-distant financial planner must untangle herself from a past that’s holding her back in order to move forward into the life that will set her free.

An inspirational tale of friends pulled apart by war based on the true story of an African serviceman who became a prisoner of war to the Japanese but was returned to the woman he loved before America bombed Tokyo in WWII.

Genre: Drama

Inspired by a true story, RACHEL STEIN teaches a valuable life lesson about adversity she hopes will make a difference in her students' lives. She relates the tales of her ancestors' struggles and sacrifices, and how they overcame adversity from the glittering age of the Romanovs through today.

IN THIS 2nd BOOK OF THE GLORY BISHOP SERIES, Glory finally breaks free of her mother's oppressive grasp. Against trusted advice, she chooses the protection of Malcolm, her controlling, much older, bad-boy-turned-minister fiancé. With this new reality, comes unexpected complications and temptations.

Merida, a special campervan made in Portugal, is waiting in Heathrow, London. Alfie arrives from San Francisco with his two dads. Unbeknown to them, they hire Merida and set off to Portugal in search of fossils and dinosaur parks. But on Salema beach, they find much more than they bargained for.

Glory Bishop reads novels, speaks her mind, & enjoys stolen kisses with JT; but at home, her strict mother will do anything to keep her from worldly temptations. When 27-year-old Malcolm in interested in Glory, with her mother's blessing, Glory must choose waiting for JT or freedom with Malcolm.

Genre: Memoir

When a supposed astrological mishap led to Priti symbolically marrying a coconut to remedy her struggles to find love, she embarked on a journey of self-discovery that launched her from her comfort zone and revealed her own needs and desires.

Genre: LGBT

This is the story of a young boy growing up in the family home living with an uncle that molests him. The grandmother knew about the abuse but did nothing to stop it. The uncle eventually goes to prison for the same type of crime. Throughout his childhood, he is told that he apparently has “female”...

When her whirlwind marriage to a Frenchman sparks suspicion, free-spirited Australian Manisha Jane must navigate societal expectations and choose whether to reveal the deeper truth of her spiritual quest that led to it. An invigorating exploration of the contemporary clash between East and West.

Genre: Sci-Fi

Thousands of years after The Great Melt, the natural environment stands on the brink of extinction. Amidst the desolation, the green haven of the Wayp remains a lone refuge far above the burnt-lands of the DownBlow: a haven protected by Ròna, the guardian of the forest, and sister of Mother Nature.

A modern-day American soldier fighting to live as a civilian. A secret time-travel experiment gone wrong. Just like that, Blanca is back in a war.

A beautiful story of imagination and culture. This book highlights Indigenous life while providing a contemporary story any child would love. The hidden messaging throughout the book encourages learning about Native American Causes. An amazing story of adventure and the power of place.

When U.S. Marshall Kate Swift enters a trauma-recovery workshop, she never expects to be caught up in a fiery romance and a violent crime wave.

In this heartwarming, and inspiring autobiographical story collection, the author bares all that is candid and revealing as well as shares his hard-won wisdom and insights.

Probing the boundary between representing and re-enacting, THE DOCUMENTARY is the story of two sisters growing up between two cultures, and of their aunt’s extreme determination to preserve her ancestral home.

Mother's Beads tries to capture the struggles of Jenny's tumultuous past that impacted her life in ways both positive and negative and yet, she still manages to look at her yesterday and it no longer can swallow her.

Genre: LGBT

A gay Catholic boy is orphaned at birth and navigates various foster placements in Catholic boarding schools and Rural Foater homes while trying to find himself against the backdrop of the teachings of the Catholic Church. Trigger Warning: One Chapter includes a description of a sexual assault.

Fifteen-year-old Mary ran away from an arranged marriage, but life’s circumstances forced her to come back home to the world she desperately tried to escape. Can she ever find the freedom and happiness she seeks?