The founders of the Independent Press Award were blown away by the abundance of quality books they were sent from all over the globe. Their work with that contest gave them confidence that on a level playing field, some independent and small press books excel beyond what the big New York publishing houses offer. That’s why they launched the NYC Big Book Award: to recognize the best of the best, regardless of the mode of publishing—from major publishers to independent authors. It is wonderful to win a category of this award! Just to be recognized among such fierce competition is a blessing.

The NYC Big Book Award for 2025 in the category “Race Relations”

The win was my first book, Under Water

When the story for Under Water flowed out of me, I was aware that writing a book centering on race relations, slavery, and the status of immigrants during the Civil War would be risky. These are challenging times to have frank conversations about social relations. The only thing people seem to agree on today is that the country is divided.

Its through storytelling that we can embody and give voice to the struggles that people face. Though Under Water is a dual-timeline story, my hope is that the parts set in the past reverberate into the present in a way that reminds us of our similarities. Hurt people hurt people, and conflicts are driven by the mental scars of generational trauma.

It means the world to me that this story resonated with the judges.

Anyhow, here is a banner that I’ve been instructed to use as bragging rights. Look, it’s shiny!