Welcome
Welcome
The Montana Book Award is an annual award that recognizes literary and/or artistic excellence in a book published during the award year. Eligible titles are either set in Montana, deal with Montana themes/issues, or are written, edited or illustrated by a Montana author or artist. Books for all ages are considered for the award.
Nominations for the 2024 Montana Book Award are now being accepted. Learn more.
2024 Winner
2024 Winner
The Entire Sky by Joe Wilkins
The 2024 Montana Book Award winner is The Entire Sky by Joe Wilkins, published by Little, Brown.
In The Entire Sky, author Joe Wilkins weaves a poignant story about a troubled boy on the run, an aging rancher, and a woman at a crossroads, who find unexpected solace and kinship in the family they make. Set in rural Montana, it intertwines themes of personal resilience and redemption with the search for belonging in the face of physical and emotional trauma. The Entire Sky is an evocative and beautiful exploration of one’s personal sense of isolation against the great expanse of the Montana landscape.
Art and Artist Info for 2024 Winner
Cedar the sheep by Claudia Paillao. A tender wool portrait, named after the majestic cedar trees that provided shelter to a character in The Eternal Sky. The piece is crafted from sheep wool sourced from local farmers in Helena, Montana. Using a barbed needle, Claudia meticulously pokes and shapes the wool fibers, gradually merging them into a single, cohesive work of art. She refers to this technique as ‘painting with wool,’ as each strand is carefully placed to evoke the subtle textures and colors of the natural world.
