Nominations for the biennial WNBA Award are now open!
Since 1940, members of WNBA dedicate the WNBA Award to “a living American woman who derives part or all of her income from books and allied arts and who has done meritorious work in the world of books beyond the duties or responsibilities of her profession or occupation.”
All WNBA members may nominate one or more women of literary significance. It is not required for your nominee to be a member of WNBA.
Please use this form to make your nomination. Nominations must be received by February 12, 2023.
Once a winner has been selected, they will be presented with the award during the WNBA Award ceremony in Boston, which will coincide with the annual WNBA national meeting in June 2023.
What qualities should a nominee have?
The profession of your nominee could be anything from an author or bookseller to a librarian or a publisher. Instead, WNBA is chiefly interested in their accomplishments beyond their professional obligations.
Consider the following:
- Does your nominee do more than what they are paid for; do they go beyond their professional duties to serve the book community?
- What kind of reach does your nominee have? A woman may be highly respected in one community, yet unknown outside of it.
- Is their shelf full of awards or are they deserving of more recognition?
- Is it likely they would attend our WNBA Award ceremony in June 2023 to accept their award?
Hannah Oliver Depp – 2021 WNBA Award Winner
For reference, our 2021 winner, Hannah Oliver Depp, is cherished for her work with Loyalty Bookstore in Washington D.C. She appeared on Good Morning America for recognition of her hard work to introduce a diverse selection of books to her local community.
To make reading an even more accessible passion within her community, Depp sought to introduce a bookmobile, a transport service that delivers books to avid readers across various neighborhoods.
For questions, please reach out to NC Weil, WNBA Award Chair, via email at co-vicepresident@wnba-books.org.
WNBA Award Origins
Formerly, the WNBA Award was known as the Constance Lindsay Skinner Award, named after the playwright, critic, editor, and author active during the early 20th century. Along with being one of the first female editors involved in adult book publishing, Skinner was a member of our New York Chapter and a founder of our Bookwoman Newsletter.
For more details on the WNBA Award and a list of previous winners, please view this page.
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