The 2025 longlists for the Hamilton Literary Awards were recently announced. Presented annually since 1993, the awards recognize and celebrate published authors from the Greater Hamilton Area and Six Nations of the Grand River. Awards are presented across five categories, including children’s literature. The shortlists for each prize will be announced mid-November, at which time, ticket sales for the awards ceremony will launch. The winners will be announced on December 11, 2025 during the awards ceremony held at Hamilton Public Library. The children's literature longlist is below.
Blue to the Sky, written by Sylvia McNicoll (DCB Young Readers)
The First Ones on the Ice, written by Lana Button, illustrated by Alex MacAskill (Nimbus Publishing)
The Go-Between, written by Jennifer Maruno (Red Deer Press)
Momma's Going to March, written by Jennifer Maruno, illustrated by Vivian Rosas (Groundwood Books)
My Grammie's House, written by Lana Button, illustrated by Skye Ali (Tundra Books)
The Scooter Twins, written by Dorothy Ellen Palmer, illustrated by Maria Sweeney (Groundwood Books)
In 2023, Hamilton Arts Council formalized a partnership with GritLIT: Hamilton's Readers and Writers Festival and Hamilton Public Library to present the awards to audiences across the province. To learn more about the prize, visit hamiltonartscouncil.ca.