For purposes of the Awards, northeastern Minnesota is defined to include the following counties: Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Kanabec, Koochiching, Lake, Pine, and Saint Louis.
The Categories
Prizes are currently awarded in six categories:
- Nonfiction: nonfiction works such as history, biography, guidebooks, cookbooks, books about science and nature, scholarly works, and art/photography books.
- Fiction: novels, short stories, plays, and other works of narrative fiction.
- Poetry: collections of poetry or a single poem of book length.
- Children’s Literature: picture books and beginning readers, generally for ages 0-7.
- Middle Grade/Young Adult: chapter books and books for a teen audience, generally for ages 8-18.
- Memoir: books that examine some aspect of the world from a highly personal perspective.
Reading Teams will choose a winner and honorable mention in each category. If a book is nominated in more than one area, the NEMBA committee will determine the category for the entry.
PLEASE NOTE: Three or more nominated titles are required in a single category to designate a winner and honorable mention in that category. If only one or two books are nominated in a single category, the NEMBA committee will move the books to another category as appropriate.
All information received from the nomination form is advisory to the NEMBA committee. The final decision for category placement, retention or removal from the competition will be made by the NEMBA committee, in consultation with the Reading Teams as necessary.
Eligibility Requirements for 2024 NEMBA
Anyone, including the author, may nominate a book for the NEMBA awards.
The subject matter of the nominated books MUST substantially represent northeastern Minnesota in the areas of history, culture, heritage, and lifestyle. For the purpose of the awards, northeastern Minnesota includes the following counties: Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Kanabec, Koochiching, Lake, Pine, and Saint Louis.
Nominated books must have 2023 original release date. Books with a 2022 copyright that were not released until 2023 may be nominated for the 2023 NEMBA awards . A written explanation for why a book with a 2022 copyright is eligible must be submitted along with the nomination form.
Nominated books must have been written in English and published in bound paper format.
The following are NOT eligible:
- E-books
- Reprints of books originally published in a previous year.
- Previously published books unless at least 50% of the content is new – documentation will be required.
- Exhibition catalogs
Entry Requirements
We now have an online nomination process.
There are 3 steps to Nominate a Book:
- Complete the online Nomination Form, which is available here.
- A $40 NON-REFUNDABLE entry fee is required for each nominated title. Use the button below to pay with PayPal or by credit card.
- Mail FOUR copies of each nominated book to the address below. The books are non-returnable. (After reading teams are done with them, books are donated to local libraries.)
NEMBA
1626 London Road #895
Duluth, MN 55812
Note: Your nomination is not final until all three steps have been completed. All three steps must be completed before the deadline for entry. Packages of books must be postmarked by the May 31 deadline.
Questions about this nomination process? Email us at NEMBA@lakesuperiorwriters.org
Deadline for Entry: May 31, 2024
Prizes
The winning book in each category will receive a cash prize of $200. The winning book and the honorable mention in each category will receive recognition at our annual event in the fall, a glass plaque and 100 book seals.
Lake Superior Writers 