Each year the Texas Institute of Letters (TIL) awards more than $20,000 to recognize outstanding literary works in several categories. Eligibility for the awards requires that the author be born in Texas or have lived in Texas for at least two consecutive years at some time. A work whose subject matter substantially concerns Texas is also eligible. The TIL’s major literary prizes will be presented at the 82nd meeting of the Institute in San Antonio on April 6-7.
And the 2018 winners are:
Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Work of Fiction: Jan Reid, Sins of the Younger Sons
Carr P. Collins Award for Best Book of Nonfiction: Roger D. Hodge, Texas Blood: Seven Generations Among the Outlaws, Ranchers, Indians, Missionaries, Soldiers, and Smugglers of the Borderlands
Ramirez Family Award for Most Significant Scholarly Book: Jerry D. Thompson, Tejano Tiger: José de los Santos Benavides and the Texas-Mexico Borderlands, 1823-1891
Helen C. Smith Award for Best Book of Poetry: Sasha Pimentel, For Want of Water: and other poems
Sergio Troncoso Award for Best Work of First Fiction: Chanelle Benz, The Man Who Shot Out My Eye is Dead
TIL Award for First Book of Poetry: Vanessa Villarreal, Beast Meridian
Kay Cattarulla Award for Best Short Story: Bret Anthony Johnston, "Miss McElroy"
Edwin “Bud” Shrake Award for Short Nonfiction: Rose Cahalan, “Ride Like a Girl” in the Texas Observer
Jean Flynn Award for Best Children’s Book: Michael Merschel, Revenge of the Star Survivors
H-E-B Award for Best Young Adult Book: Francisco X. Stork, Disappeared
Denton Record-Chronicle Award for Best Children's Picture Book: Xelena González and Adriana M. Garcia, All around Us
Soeurette Diehl Fraser Award for Best Translation of a Book: Philip Boehm, translator of Chasing the King of Hearts, by Hanna Krall
Fred Whitehead Award for Best Design of a Trade Book: Mary Ann Jacob, designer, The Nueces River, Rio Escondido (Texas A&M University Press)
