About the Awards

The Georgia Author of the Year Awards celebrates the best literature by Georgia writers.

Georgia Writers Association assumed responsibility for the Georgia Author of the Year Awards (GAYA) shortly after its founding in 1994. The awards were first given in 1964 by the Dixie Council of Authors and Journalists. Published authors from Georgia are eligible for nomination. Awards in a variety of categories are announced and presented in June at the GAYA ceremony.

Prominent winners of the GAYA include Malcolm Tariq for his poetry collection Heed the Hollow (2019); Ruby Lal, for her biography Empress (2018); Nic Stone for her novels Dear Justyce (2020) and Jackpot (2019); Natasha Trethewey for her memoir Memorial Drive: A Daughter’s Memoir (2020); Judith Ortiz Cofer, for her essay collection Woman in Front of the Sun (2000); Kaitlin B. Curtice for her inspirational book Native: Identity Belonging, and Rediscovering God (2020); John Lewis for his graphic memoir March: Book Three (2016); poet Sharan Strange won a lifetime achievement award from the organization in 2018.



Celebrating Georgia Writers


2024 Georgia Author of the Year Awards Announcement

Live on Friday, June 21 at 12PM ET

2023 Georgia Writers Association’s 59th Annual Georgia Author of the Year Awards Ceremony

 

The 2023 Awards Announcement