TRAVERSE CITY, Michigan: June 17, 2021—Foreword Reviews announced the winners of its INDIES Book of the Year Awards today. The awards recognize the best books published in 2020 from small, independent, and university presses, including university and author publishers. You can view a list of the winners here:

https://www.forewordreviews.com/awards/winners/2020/

“Covid-19 changed the world,” says Editor in Chief Michelle Anne Schingler, “And the INDIES were no exception. While we ordinarily meet in person to vett the thousands of entrants and determine finalists, this year, we had to read books independently, and to come together afterward and discuss our impressions. What we discovered was heartening: we were in agreement about finalists, even when encountering books miles and days apart. We are happy to, with renewed fervor, declare these books the best of the best that we saw.”

For this year’s competition, over 2,100 entries were submitted in 55 categories, with Foreword’s editors choosing approximately 9 finalists per genre. Those finalists were then delivered to individual librarians and booksellers tasked with picking the Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Honorable Mention winners.

Foreword editors also selected Editor’s Choice winners in nonfiction and fiction. Above Us the Milky Way, a Deep Vellum title by Fowzia Karimi, was named the fiction honoree; and Behind the Bears Ears—by R.E. Burillo, Torrey House Press—was honored as the winner in nonfiction.

Two Dollar Radio was named the INDIES’s Publisher of the Year. “A boutique, family-run publishing company, Two Dollar Radio challenges us not only with their titles, but with their community commitment and engagement,” says Managing Editor Danielle Ballantyne. “In their own words, their mission is to present titles that are ‘too loud to ignore,’ and their numerous awards and accolades suggest the publishing world is sitting up and listening.”

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Since 1998, Foreword Reviews has provided trade book reviews of the best titles from independent presses. In print, and online, its FOLIO: award-winning design and editorial content makes the magazine a favorite among librarians, booksellers, and readers—an excellent resource when it comes to purchasing books. Foreword INDIES and the fee-for-review Clarion service complement our online content and print magazine, helping to showcase diverse independent presses and their authors for over 26 years.
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