by Blair Stenvick • May 3, 2021 at 2:31 pm Fabrizio Grassi / EyeEm / Getty images
The winners of the 2021 Oregon Book Awards an annual competition from Literary Arts honoring the best works from local authors were announced yesterday. As someone who perennially identifies as “looking for a good book,” I can’t wait to delve into this list. If you feel the same, here’s an overview of the seven winning titles, as well as some notes the Oregon Book Awards judges shared when announcing the winners.
• The
Ken Kesey Award for Fiction goes to
The Great Offshore Grounds by Portland-based author Vanessa Veselka. The novel takes a classic cross-country road trip tale and turns it on its head, weaving in mythologies, complicated sibling dynamics, and a detour into the ocean. Judge Hilary Leichter writes that she was riveted by every line, the humor of being alive, the pathos of this deeply American narrative, and the energy of t