Memoir Magazine is delighted to share the winners of the 2023 Memoir Prize for Books! Congratulations to our Grand Prize winner, Finalists, and Category winners!
2023 GRAND PRIZE WINNER
(Atria Books)
A powerful memoir that explores the profound depths of loss while illuminating the path toward healing and rediscovery. Hord shares the tragic tale of her daughter’s murder, with a voice that resonates with love and resilience. Her ability to convey both heartbreak and hope is remarkable, leaving readers inspired by her unwavering spirit. Her words carry the weight of wisdom earned through unimaginable pain, creating a narrative that is both emotionally charged and deeply moving. “The Other Side of Yet” is a testament to the enduring power of love and the indomitable human spirit.
2023 FINALISTS
by Ravi Shankar | Website : Amazon
(University of Wisconsin Press)
Burning Butch
The Best Memoirs in Categories:
HEALTH/ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES:
SURVIVAL:
by Sue Tong
(An Unpublished Manuscript)
TRANSFORMATION/ TRAVEL:
IDENTITY, LGBTQ:
by Emily Richards
(An Unpublished Manuscript)
CULTURE:
(An Unpublished Manuscript)
OVERCOMING ADVERSITY:
MORAL CONFLICT, Legacy of Slave Ownership:
LEGACY:
COOKING, INNOVATIVE STORYTELLING:
FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS:
by Morgan Baker | Website : Amazon
(Ten16 Press)
GRAPHIC STORYTELLING:
by Emily Carrington | Amazon (Drawn & Quarterly)
IDENTITY, Multicultural, Coming of Age
(Renaissance Press)
IDENTITY/LITERATURE/GRIEF:
ESSAYS:
by MB Caschetta | Website : Amazon
(Engine Books)
INNOVATIVE STORYTELLING:
REFUGEE EXPERIENCE:
(Independently Published)
RESILIENCE:
by Patrice Keet & Melissa LaHommedieu | Website : Amazon
(Atmosphere Press)
NOTEWORTHY TITLES:
The More You Hate Me by Andy Smart | Amazon (Unsolicited Press)
Poppy & other poems of grief and celebration by Julian Nangle
That Time I Got Cancer: A Love Story by Jim Zervanos | Website : Amazon
Destiny Deems by Beverly Alexander Martin | Website
The Long Surrender: A Memoir About Losing My Religion by Brian Rush McDonald
Chasing Tarzan by Catherine Forster | Website : Amazon (WiDo Publishing)
Living with 12 Men…a Mother in Training by Betty Auchard
We are so grateful to everyone who entered this year’s contest. You have enriched our lives with your stories of personal growth, struggles and transformations, as well as the courageous work of activists and leaders fighting for social justice.
We continue to be amazed by the exciting ways writers are continually expanding the Memoir genre to express their life stories and emotional truths: such as memoirs in essays, co-authored memoirs, illustrated graphic memoirs, and memoirs that weave together recipes and art!
We look forward to next year’s 2024 Memoir Prize!
Congratulations to all of this year’s winners! So thrilling.