The Florida Book Awards, coordinated by Florida State University Libraries, announced the winners of the 2025 awards on April 1. The awards recognize outstanding literature by Florida authors and books that celebrate the state’s culture, history, and creativity.
The annual competition received more than 160 submissions across 11 categories this year. A panel of jurors honored 29 books with awards and selected two additional titles for honorable mention.
“As we approach the 20th anniversary of the Florida Book Awards, we are once again honored to recognize this year’s winning authors and titles,” said Keith Simmons, executive director of the Florida Book Awards. “Florida is a place I’m extremely proud to call home, and celebrating the creativity of Floridians never stops being special. I hope that anyone who has the chance will take the time to read these remarkable books.”
Among this year’s recipients are “Once Upon A You” by Ryan G. Van Cleave, which won the Gwen P. Reichert Gold Medal for Young Children’s Literature; “Art: An Interactive Guide” by Mifflin Lowe, winner of the Jean E. Lowrie Gold Medal for Older Children’s Literature; and “Just Freedom: Inside Florida’s Decades‑Long Voting Rights Battle” by Daniel Rivero, which earned the Phillip and Dana Zimmerman Gold Medal for Florida Nonfiction.
River Selby, a Tallahassee-based writer and graduate student, received the Gerald Ensley Developing Writer Award for their memoir “Hotshot: A Life on Fire.” The award was established in 2019 to honor an emerging writer who demonstrates exceptional promise. It includes a $1,000 prize as well as copies of Gerald Ensley’s books.
“Florida’s literary influence long predates the Florida Book Awards,” said Carrie Cooper, dean of University Libraries at FSU. “From trailblazers like Zora Neale Hurston to contemporary writers shaping our future, Florida’s stories have always been vivid, essential and deeply rooted in our state’s culture. FSU Libraries is proud to celebrate and recognize these authors.”
Award recipients will be recognized at the Abitz Family Dinner on April 23 at Cascades Park in Tallahassee as part of a year-long lead-up to next year’s anniversary celebration. The dinner is open to members of the public who reserve seats online.
Winning titles are available through Midtown Reader bookstore partners. Several award-winning authors will also participate in book signings and presentations during next year’s Word of South Festival.
