2024 Awards
Below are the winners and finalists in the 2024 SWBDA Awards, announced on August 27, 2024 at the NMBA Summer Gala held as The Club at Las Campanas in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The event also included a guitar performance by Nacha Mendez and a conversation by Hampton SIdes.
Links for most books are to NMBA's shop at Bookshop.com. NMBA may earn a small commission for purchases made there, and purchases also benefit your local bookstore. In cases where books are not available from Bookshop.com, we have linked to additional information or purchase as available.
Links for most books are to NMBA's shop at Bookshop.com. NMBA may earn a small commission for purchases made there, and purchases also benefit your local bookstore. In cases where books are not available from Bookshop.com, we have linked to additional information or purchase as available.
Jim Mafchir Best-in-Show Award
WINNERS
- Stephanie Syjuco: The Unruly Archive Artwork and Text by Stephanie Syjuco / Texts by Astria Suparak, Carmen Winant, Gelare Khoshgozaran, Jason Lazarus, LJ Roberts, Minne Atairu, Pio Abad, Savannah Wood, and Wendy Red Star (Radius Books; David Chickey & Nick Larsen, designers)
- Cecilia Vicuña: Deer Book / Libro Venado Text and drawings by Cecilia Vicuña / Translation by Daniel Borzutzky (Radius Books; David Chickey, designer)
- Celia Álvarez Muñoz: Breaking the Binding Artwork by Celia Álvarez Muñoz / Essays by Kate Green, Isabel Casso, and Josh Franco / Conversation with Celia Álvarez Muñoz and Roberto Tejada (Radius Books; David Chickey & Mat Patalano, designers)
- The Huacas: Rock Shrines and Ritual Landscapes of the Incas by Edward Ranney (University of New Mexico Press; Felicia Cedillos, designer)
General Fiction
WINNERS
- Night Train to Odessa by Mary L. Grow (Studio 17; Kathleen Dexter, designer)
- Death Comes for the Archbishop: A Classic Novel of New Mexico by Willa Cather; Introduction and Notes by Richard W. Etulain (University of New Mexico Press; Felicia Cedillos, designer)
- Nopalito, Texas: Stories by David Meischen (University of New Mexico Press; Felicia Cedillos, designer)
FINALISTS
- Footfalls to the Alamo by Shawn M. LaTorre (Mille Tales Press; Rich Carnahan, designer)
- Desert Electra by Bruce Moss (Bruce Moss; Felicia Cedillos, designer)
Mystery / Thriller
WINNER
- Night Train to Odessa by Mary L. Grow (Studio 17; Kathleen Dexter, designer)
Biography / Autobiography / Memoir
WINNER
- Outsider: My Boyhood with Thoreau by Lawrence Millman (Coyote Arts; Geoff Halverson, illustrator; Jordan Jones, designer)
FINALIST
- Mountain Time: A Field Guide to Astonishment by Renata Golden (Columbus State University Press / University of Georgia Press; Peter Selgin, designer)
History / Political Science
WINNERS
- Crosses of Iron: The Tragic Story of Dawson, New Mexico and Its Twin Mining Disasters by Nick Pappas (University of New Mexico Press; Isaac Morris, designer)
- Religion and the American West: Belief, Violence, and Resilience from 1800 to Today edited by Jessica Lauren Nelson (University of New Mexico Press; Isaac Morris, designer)
Scholarly & Technical
WINNERS
- Ted Larsen: Works 2007–2023 Artwork by Ted Larsen; Essay by David Pagel (Radius Books; David Chickey & Mat Patalano, designers)
- Stephanie Syjuco: The Unruly Archive Artwork and Text by Stephanie Syjuco / Texts by Astria Suparak, Carmen Winant, Gelare Khoshgozaran, Jason Lazarus, LJ Roberts, Minne Atairu, Pio Abad, Savannah Wood, and Wendy Red Star (Radius Books; David Chickey & Nick Larsen, designers)
- Pipe Dreams: The Drug Experience in Literature Edited by Gilbert Alter-Gilbert (Coyote Arts; Jordan Jones, designer)
- Wild Carnivores of New Mexico Edited by Jean-Luc E. Cartron and Jennifer K. Frey (University of New Mexico Press; Felicia Cedillos, designer)
- The Gardens of Los Poblanos by Judith Phillips (University of New Mexico Press; Felicia Cedillos, designer)
Guides
WINNERS
- Publish Your Photography Book Third edition, by Darius D. Himes & Mary Virginia Swanson (Radius Books; David Chickey & Mat Patalano, designers)
- The Big Book of Hatch Chile: 180 Great Recipes Featuring the World's Favorite Chile Pepper by Kelley Cleary Coffeen (University of New Mexico Press; Felicia Cedillos, designer)
- Slow Travel New Mexico: Unforgettable Personal Experiences in the Land of Enchantment by Judith Fein (University of New Mexico Press; Felicia Cedillos, designer)
- A Long Tangent: Musings by an old man and his young dog hiking every day for a year by M. John Fayhee (Mimbres Press of Western New Mexico University; GKS Creative, designers)
- Who Love These Mountains Journeys of the Heart into a Taos Wilderness by Kyle Remiger and Bob Remiger (Magik Square Productions; Robert and Kyle Remiger, designers)
- The Santa Fe Compendium: Why We Really ARE "The City Different" by John Self (Table 7 Press; Pulp, designers)
Poetry
WINNERS
FINALISTS
- Cecilia Vicuña: Deer Book / Libro Venado Text and drawings by Cecilia Vicuña / Translation by Daniel Borzutzky (Radius Books; David Chickey, designer)
- A Million-Dollar Bill: Poems by Eric Paul Shaffer (Coyote Arts; Cindy Stewart, designer)
- Open-Hearted Horizon An Albuquerque Poetry Anthology Edited by Valerie Martínez & Shelle VanEtten de Sánchez (University of New Mexico Press; Isaac Morris, designer)
FINALISTS
- Trials and Tribulations of Dirty Shame, Oklahoma: And Other Prose Poetry by Sy Hoahwah (University of New Mexico Press; Isaac Morris, designer)
- Green Leaves: Selected & New Poems by Eric Paul Shaffer (Coyote Arts; Jordan Jones, designer)
Children's
WINNER
FINALISTS
- The Great Animal Escape by Linda Harkey (Story Monsters Press; Jeff Yesh, illustrator and designer)
FINALISTS
- A Los Alamos Alphabet by Whitney Spivey (Whitney Spivey; Leslie Bucklin, designer)
- Tasiawelanu and the Healing Blanket by Laurah Morningstar (Honey Flower; Integrative Ink, designers)
Young Adult
FINALIST
- Fatima Tate Takes the Cake by Khadijah VanBrakle (Holiday House / Penguin Random House; Kerry Martin, designer)
Bilingual
WINNER
- Cecilia Vicuña: Deer Book / Libro Venado Text and drawings by Cecilia Vicuña / Translation by Daniel Borzutzky (Radius Books; David Chickey, designer)
Art
WINNERS
- Ted Larsen: Works 2007–2023 Artwork by Ted Larsen; Essay by David Pagel (Radius Books; David Chickey & Mat Patalano, designers)
- Celia Álvarez Muñoz: Breaking the Binding Artwork by Celia Álvarez Muñoz / Essays by Kate Green, Isabel Casso, and Josh Franco / Conversation with Celia Álvarez Muñoz and Roberto Tejada (Radius Books; David Chickey & Mat Patalano, designers)
- James Drake: Tongue-Cut Sparrows Artwork by James Drake / Foreword by Robert Storr / Poem by Jimmy Santiago Baca / Essay by David Scott Kastan / Conversation with the artist by Florencia Bazzano (Radius Books; David Chickey & Nick Larsen, designers)
- Basia Irland: Repositories: Portable Sculptures for Waterway Journeys by Patricia Watts (ecoartspace; Graeme Walker, designer)
- Blurred Boundaries: Perspectives on Rock Art of the Greater Southwest by William Frej (Museum of New Mexico Press; David Skolkin, designer)
Photography
WINNERS
- Homeground by Sally Thomson (Sally Thompson; The Currie Creative & Sally Thomson, designers)
- The Huacas: Rock Shrines and Ritual Landscapes of the Incas by Edward Ranney (University of New Mexico Press; Felicia Cedillos, designer)
- Who Love These Mountains Journeys of the Heart into a Taos Wilderness by Kyle Remiger and Bob Remiger (Magik Square Productions; Robert and Kyle Remiger, designers)