The winners of the 2025 Southern Book Prize, honoring "the best Southern books of the year" as nominated by Southern indie booksellers and voted on by their customers, have been announced by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance. Winning authors receive a donation in their name to the charity or nonprofit of their choice.
Fiction
Rednecks by Taylor Brown (St. Martin's Press)
"The themes of family, labor's value, and economic freedom are as prescient today as during the novel's time period. Rednecks is well-researched and engrossing. I felt like I was in the cold, muddy camps along with the families." --Susan Williams, M. Judson, Booksellers in Greenville, S.C.
Nonfiction
The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony by Annabelle Tometich (Little, Brown)
"Parts of Annabelle Tometich's story of growing up in Fort Myers, Florida, the daughter of a Filipino mom and white dad, are so unbelievable they must be true. Written by a veteran journalist and food critic and writer, The Mango Tree is incredibly entertaining and compellingly readable." --Rachel Watkins, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Ga.
Young Readers
Not Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo (Bloomsbury YA)
"I loved the twists laced through this thrilling story. A mystery full of heart and at times deeply unsettling. Teenagers are messy, but they are wholly human with all the pain that often includes." --Rayna Nielsen, Blue Cypress Books in New Orleans, La.
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The winners of the 2024 Porchlight Business Book Awards were revealed at a publishing industry celebration in New York City on January 29. The eight winners, one per category, are:
Big Ideas & New Perspectives
Tech Agnostic: How Technology Became the World's Most Powerful Religion, and Why It Desperately Needs a Reformation by Greg Epstein (MIT Press)
Current Events & Public Affairs
The Truth About Immigration: Why Successful Societies Welcome Newcomers by Zeke Hernandez (St. Martin's Press)
Innovation & Creativity
The Vagina Business: The Innovative Breakthroughs that Could Change Everything in Women's Health by Marina Gerner (Sourcebooks)
Leadership & Strategy
Higher Ground: How Business Can Do the Right Thing in a Turbulent World by Alison Taylor (Harvard Business Review Press)
Management & Workplace Culture
The Problem with Change: And the Essential Nature of Human Performance by Ashley Goodall (Little, Brown Spark)
Marketing & Communications/Sales & Influence
Say It Well: Find Your Voice, Speak Your Mind, Inspire Any Audience by Terry Szuplat (Harper Business)
Narrative & Biography
Savings and Trust: The Rise and Betrayal of the Freedman's Bank by Justene Hill Edwards (W.W. Norton)
Personal Development & Human Behavior
Unlearning Silence: How to Speak Your Mind, Unleash Talent, and Live More Fully by Elaine Lin Hering (Penguin Life)
Additionally, the Jack Covert Award for Contribution to the Business Book Industry was given to Matt Holt, editor-in-chief of BenBella, in recognition of his 29-year career acquiring more than 1,000 titles and publishing 10,000.