Oklahoma Center for the Book

06/12/2026

📚 Congratulations to Elise Paschen on receiving a Bronze Award in Poetry from the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards for Blood Wolf Moon.

The collection also won the 2026 Oklahoma Book Award for Poetry. The work explores the stories and heritage of the Osage people. At the core of the book is "The Reign of Terror," a dark period in American history when outsiders murdered individual members of the Osage Nation for their oil headrights.

Elise is in Healdsburg, California, this evening, where she will be giving a reading from Blood Wolf Moon.

Congratulations, Elise, on this well-deserved recognition!

➡ forewordreviews.com/awards/books/blood-wolf-moon

06/11/2026

📚 Hear from one of this year's Oklahoma Book Awards finalists.

The Oklahoma Historical Society will host a free discussion with Dr. Lisa Barnett on June 24 at the Oklahoma History Center. Barnett will discuss her book, Pe**te Politics: The Making of the Native American Church, 1880–1937, a finalist in the 2026 Oklahoma Book Awards Non-Fiction category.

The book explores the rise of the Native American Church in Oklahoma and the Great Plains and examines how Native communities worked to protect their religious practices and secure constitutional protections for pe**te ceremonies during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

📅 June 24, 2026 • 3:30–4:30 p.m.
📍 Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
Free and open to the public; no registration required.

Learn more about the event: okhistory.org/calendar/event/pe**te-politics-the-making-of-the-native-american-church-1880-1937-book-discussion-with-dr-lisa-barnett

06/02/2026

05/28/2026

🤠📚 The Read Across Oklahoma, America250 summer tour is rolling across Oklahoma!

Today we’re at the Duncan Public Library with Buckaroo Bart Taylor from the Will Rogers Memorial Museum — author of three books about Will Rogers — bringing stories to life with summer reading fun, live rope tricks, and a whole heap of cowboy spirit.

We’re pretty sure if Will Rogers were here today he’d say… “Never met a [book] I didn’t like.” 😉

And this is just one stop on the tour! The Read Across Oklahoma fun may be headed to a library near you, so keep an eye on your local library’s Summer Reading events and programs.

🤠📖

05/21/2026

🤠📚 We’re at the Western Plains Library in Weatherford for their Summer Reading Kickoff!

This summer, we’re partnering with Buckaroo Bart to celebrate Read Across Oklahoma and America250 through stories that connect us. Keep an eye on your local library’s summer programming to see if a Will Rogers storytime and Buckaroo Bart visit is coming to your community.

05/18/2026

🎉 Congratulations to the 2026 Oklahoma Book Award winners!

The 37th Annual Oklahoma Book Awards took place Saturday at the Oklahoma History Center, celebrating outstanding books published in 2025 by Oklahoma authors and creators, along with works highlighting Oklahoma themes.

📚 The 2026 Winners are...

Children: Mary Had a Little Jam by Tammi Sauer

Young Adult: Gittel by Laurie Schneider

Design/Illustration/Photography: Route 66: The First 100 Years by Jim Ross and Shellee Graham

Fiction: The Filling Station by Vanessa Miller

Non-Fiction: Black Moses by Caleb Gayle

Poetry: Blood Wolf Moon by Elise Paschen

Lynn McIntosh Award for Excellence: Making of the Killers of the Flower Moon by Osage News

Glenda Carlile Distinguished Service Award: Connie Armstrong

Arrell Gibson Lifetime Achievement: Carolyn Brown

View the full list of winners and finalists at Oklahoma.gov/libraries/book-awards.

More pictures from the event will be added later this week.

05/17/2026

🏅 Last but certainly not least, we hear from Arrell Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award honoree Carolyn Brown at the 37th Annual Oklahoma Book Awards.

A USA Today, New York Times, and Publisher’s Weekly acclaimed author, Carolyn Brown has published more than 60 books and become a widely recognized voice in romance, western, and women’s fiction. Her stories, written from her home in southern Oklahoma, have reached readers around the world with more than six million copies sold and translations in 21 languages.

This recognition celebrates a remarkable literary career and lasting impact on readers and Oklahoma’s literary community.

05/17/2026

🌟 The Glenda Carlile Distinguished Service Award has been presented at the 37th Annual Oklahoma Book Awards.

Congratulations to Connie Armstrong, recognized for her years of service and contributions as director of the Oklahoma Center for the Book and her lasting impact on Oklahoma’s literary community.

This award honors individuals whose dedication and leadership have helped support books, literacy, authors, and readers across Oklahoma.

05/17/2026

✨📽 Another special honor is being presented tonight at the Oklahoma Book Awards: the Lynn McIntosh Award for Excellence.

Presented for exceptional contributions to Oklahoma’s literary and cultural landscape, this year’s award goes to the team behind Making of the Killers of the Flower Moon — Shannon Shaw Duty, Benny Polacca, Chelsea T. Hicks, Allison Herrera, Ruby Hansen Murray, Tristan Joseph Espinoza, Cody Hammer, Sherry Stinson, Echo Reed, and Louise Red Corn — published by Osage News.

This collaborative work highlights the power of Oklahoma voices coming together to document history and culture.

05/17/2026

✨⛽ The Fiction Award has been announced at the 37th Annual Oklahoma Book Awards.

Congratulations to Vanessa Miller, winner for The Filling Station, published by Thomas Nelson.

From unforgettable characters to stories that stay with readers long after the final page, tonight’s Fiction winner is another powerful example of the talent and storytelling celebrated across Oklahoma books and authors.