The California Book Awards are annual literary awards given to California Writers and Publishers since 1931. The event is sponsored by Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California. The California Book Awards are funded by an endowment from Dr. Martha Heasley Cox, late professor of American Literature at San Jose State University. Medals (gold and silver) and cash prizes are currently awarded in the categories of Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, First Work of Fiction, Californiana (nonfiction relating to California), Juvenile Literature (up to age 10), Young Adult Literature (age 11âÂÂ16), and Notable Contribution to Publishing. More than 400 books are submitted per year. The winning books are selected by an independent jury.
The California Book Award for First Fiction was first presented in 1977. In 1995, it was presented as the California Book Award for First Work.
The California Book awards sparked controversy after awarding John Steinbeck his third Gold Medal for The Grapes of Wrath, which triggered a series of protests throughout the state. The Club was criticized for acknowledging a book that portrayed California in a poor light. It didn't take long, however, for The Grapes of Wrath to become an American classic.