WASHINGTON, DC, Dec 6 – The Grateful American Book Prize will begin accepting submissions for its 2017 award on January 1. The Prize is given each year to authors for outstanding works of fiction and non-fiction based on historical fact, and written to inspire 11 to 15 year old students. Books published between July 1, 2016 and July 31, 2017 are eligible.

“The enthusiasm with which authors and their publishers have greeted the award since its 2015 inception has been gratifying. Our aim in creating it was to encourage more writers to produce works of historical non-fiction and fiction about the events and personalities that have shaped the United States since the country’s founding. And, in fact, the two winners—so far– were debut authors,” according to David Bruce Smith, co-founder of the Grateful American Book Prize.

This year’s awardee was Chris Stevenson, for his excellent work of fiction, The Drum of Destiny, which is based on actual events. The novel describes the adventures of a boy who joins the Continental Army to fight for America’s independence. The recipient of the 2015 Prize was Kathy Cannon Wiechman for her Like a River: A Civil War Novel. It was about a pair of teenagers caught up in the conflict between the states.

Along with a distinctive medallion created by American artist Clarice Smith, the Prize comes with a $13,000 cash award in commemoration of the 13 original Colonies. As of 2017, “Honorable Mention” winners will get a cash prize of $500 each.

In addition to David Bruce Smith, the 2016 panel of judges for the Prize included co-founder Dr. Bruce Cole, the former chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Dr. Louise Mirrer, President and CEO of the New-York Historical Society, Dr. Peter Carmichael, the Robert C. Fluhrer Professor of Civil War Studies & Director of the Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College, John Gray, the Elizabeth MacMillan Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, Dr. Douglas Bradburn, author, historian and Founding Director of the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon, John Danielson, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Education Management Corporation, and Neme Alperstein, a teacher of Gifted and Talented Students in the New York City Public School system since 1987.

Click for the Submission Form and additional information about submitting a book.