Minnesota Book Awards Seeks Reader-Judges

Literary legend C.S. Lewis once quipped: "You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me." If you share that sentiment with the Narnia creator, you may want to look into the latest news from the Minnesota Book Awards.

The Minnesota Book Awards is currently seeking reader-judges for the program’s 39th year (2026-27). Each year, up to 60 judges are involved in this evaluation process. Panels are comprised of Minnesotans from many walks of life who share a love of literature and aptitude for critical appraisal. Judges commonly include authors, editors, educators – and yes, librarians and Friends.

Evaluation takes place across ten genre categories: Poetry, Memoir & Creative Nonfiction, Genre Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade Literature, Children’s Literature, Novel & Short Story, General Nonfiction, Minnesota Nonfiction, and Anthology (biennial).

For each category, adjudication takes place in two rounds: Preliminary and Final. Judges in both rounds will convene on Zoom – on Saturday, January 23 and Saturday, March 13, respectively.

If selected to judge, organizers will mail you books in batches: the perfect wintertime activity! The assignment also comes with a $500-750 stipend. Click here for more information – or here to jump straight to the application form. Be sure to throw your hat in the ring before the Friday, September 11 deadline.