The Sir Walter Raleigh Award
In 1952, The Historical Book Club established the prestigious Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction to honor the most captivating work of fiction penned by a North Carolina author each year. It’s a chance to shine a spotlight on the Tar Heel State’s literary talents and celebrate the power of storytelling.
The Sir Walter Raleigh Cup, inscribed with the names of the winners, is presented at the annual meeting of the NC Literary and Historical Association and is on permanent exhibition in the Division of Archives and History Department of Cultural Resources. Winners receive a replica statuette.
Join us in celebrating North Carolina’s literary heritage!
The Miniaturist’s Assistant – Katherine Scott Crawford – 2025
Congratulations to Katherine Scott Crawford as the winner of the 2026 Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction for The Miniaturist's Assistant. This book explores the mystery of time, how our choices ripple throughout history, and what it means to be a fully-realized...
Those We Thought We Knew – David Joy – 2024
Winner of the 2024 Sir Walter RaleighAward for Fiction.“[David Joy] is a man who sees his homeplace clearly and who writes like his hand was touched by God.” — The New York TimesA twelfth generation North Carolinian, David Joy grew up along the Catawba River, moved...
Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction Recipients
Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction Recipients 1952 - Paul Green – Entire Works1953 - Frances Gray Patton – The Finer Things of LifeInglis Fletcher – Carolina Series – 7 Novels1954 - Ovid W. Pierce – The Plantation1955 - Frances Gray Patton – Good Morning, Miss...
Criteria for Selection and Process for Submission
For a work to be eligible for consideration:
1. It must be an original book published during the 12 months ending June 30th of the year for which the award is given. (i.e. published 7/1/24-6/30/25 for the 2025 award cycle).
2. Its author must have maintained legal or physical residence or a combination of both in North Carolina for the three years preceding the close of the contest period.
Three (3) copies of each entry must be submitted to to the Editor of the North Carolina Literary Review no later than July 15 of the year which the award is given.
3. In reaching a decision, a panel of judges will consider creative and imaginative quality, excellence of style, universality of appeal, and relevance to North Carolina and her people.
Find more information about the North Carolina Book Awards, including a listing of past winners, on the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association website.
Self published and subsidy published works will not be considered.