The winners of the 2026 New Brunswick Book Awards were announced on May 30 as part of WFNB’s annual WordSpring writing festival in Saint John. The program celebrates books published in the 2025 calendar year. The Alice Kitts Memorial Award for Excellence in Picture Book Writing, sponsored by the Kitts Family, was awarded to Jennifer McGrath for her picture book The Pony and the Starling, illustrated by Kristina Jones (Groundwood Books). What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do: A Guide to Finding Your Purpose, Redefining Your Goals, and Creating a Better Life, by Evan Jones (FriesenPress) took home the Books for Youth and Young Adult Award, sponsored by JD Irving, Ltd.
The New Brunswick Book Awards are open to traditionally published and self-published authors who have lived in the province for three of the last five years, including the award year.
The awards program is administered by the Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick (WFNB), which for more than 40 years has passionately supported the development of home-grown writers at all stages of development.
For the complete list of 2026 finalists, click here.
For more information, visit wfnb.ca.