The OWL Awards
Outstanding Works
Of Literature
About The Awards
Our Outstanding Works of Literature (OWL) Awards spotlight the best books shaping society today. Every year, our book experts explore and assess the thousands of books published each year for titles that change the way organizations do business, educators create and teach curriculum, and communities understand and pursue wellbeing. We’ve done the work so you don’t have to! Come see what books of the year deserve to get noticed.
How OWL Awards Work?
Submission Open
Publishers will submit nominations of noteworthy titles for the selected categories. Submissions open in August and close end of September.
Longlist Is Selected
Our team of book experts will carefully review each title submitted based on our criteria. Five books will move on to the next round.
Shortlisted Is Selected
The Longlist is narrowed down to the top three titles that deserve recognition for their unique impact.
Winners are Announced
One book per category is awarded the title of Outstanding Work of Literature!
Award Categories & Criteria
The Outstanding Works of Literature Awards are granted to titles that are, well... outstanding! They are impactful, distinguished, one-of-a-kind, admirable, and/or inspirational. Our categories were chosen based on topics that best resonate with the companies, schools, and organizations we partner with.
Business Categories
- Big Idea
- Leadership
- Sales & Marketing
- Management & Culture
- Women in Business
Education Categories
- Picture Books
- Elementary
- Middle School
- First Year Experience
- Community Read
Award Criteria
- Originality
- Engagement
- Readability
- Clarity
- Relevancy
Winners Over The Years
Business
Big Idea
The Coming Wave
by Mustafa Suleyman
with Michael Bhaskar
Leadership
The Wisdom of the Bullfrog
by Admiral William H. McRaven
Management & Culture
Team Habits
by Charlie Gilkey
Sales & Marketing
Creating Superfans
by Brittany Hodak
Women in Business
In Her Own Voice
by Jennifer McCollum
Education
Picture Books
Ninja Nate
by Markette Sheppard
Elementary
The Beach Dilemma
by Laura Wiltse Prior
Middle School
Lasagna Means I Love You
by Kate O'Shaughnessy
First Year Experience
Outsmart Your Brain
by Daniel T. Willingham
Community Read
While You Were Out
by Meg Kissinger
Business
Big Idea
Stolen Focus
by Johann Hari
Leadership
Trust and Inspire
by Stephen M.R. Covey
Management & Culture
The Gift of Influence
by Tommy Spaulding
Sales & Marketing
Unreasonable Hospitality
by Will Guidara
Women in Business
Secrets of the Sprakkar
by Eliza Reid
Education
Picture Books
Out of a Jar
by Deborah Marcero
Elementary
Thirst
by Varsha Bajaj
Middle School
New From Here
by Kelly Yang
First Year Experience
Solito
by Javier Zamora
Community Read
Just Pursuit
by Laura Coates
Business
Big Idea
Rebel Ideas
by Matthew Syed
Leadership
Bringing Up the Boss
by Rachel Pacheco
Management & Culture
Just Work
by Kim Scott
Sales & Marketing
Get Different
by Mike Michalowicz
Women in Business
My Life in Full
by Indra Nooyi
Education
Picture Books
The 1619 Project
by Nikole Hannah-Jones,
Renée Watson,
& Nikkolas Smith
Elementary
Gerladine Pu and Her
Lunch Box, Too!
by Maggie P. Chang
Middle School
Dead Wednesday
by Jerry Spinelli
High School
The Cost of Knowing
by Brittney Morris
Advanced Reading
We Are Not Like Them
by Christine Pride & Jo Piazza
Miscellaneous
Health & Wellness
What Happened to You?
by Oprah Winfrey &
Bruce D. Perry
Gift & Special Interest
Per My Last Email
by Stephanie K. Wright
Religion
Pillars
by Rachel Pieh Jones
Politics & Current Events
The Sum of Us
by Heather McGhee
Biography & Memoir
Hola Papi
by John Paul Brammer
Business
Big Idea
The Future is Faster
Than You Think
by Peter H. Diamandis
& Steve Kotler
Leadership
Leading with Gratitude
by Adrian Gostick &
Chester Elton
Management & Culture
The Leader's Guide to
Unconscious Bias
by Pamela Fuller, Mark
Murphy, & Anne Chow
Sales & Marketing
The Forever Transaction
by Robbie Kellman Baxter
Women in Business
Unapologetically Ambitious
by Shellye Archambeau
Education
Picture Books
I Am Every Good Thing
by Derrick Barnes &
Gordon C. James
Elementary
Tune It Out
by Jamie Sumner
Middle School
When Stars Are Scattered
by Victoria Jamieson &
Omar Mohamed
High School
We Are Not Free
by Traci Chee
Advanced Reading
Transcendent Kingdom
by Yaa Gyasi
Miscellaneous
Health & Wellness
Think Like a Monk
by Jay Shetty
Gift & Special Interest
The 99% Invisible City
by Roman Mars & Kurt
Kohlstedt
Religion
We Are Called to Be a
Movement
by William J. Barber
Politics & Current Events
Caste
by Isabel Wilkerson
Biography & Memoir
Untamed
by Glennon Doyle
Business
Big Idea
Indistractable
by Nir Eyal
Leadership
Management Mess to
Leadership Success
by Scott Jeffrey Miller
Management & Culture
The Remix
by Lindsey Pollak
Sales & Marketing
The Iconist
by Jamie Mustard
Women in Business
Everything is
Figureoutable
by Marie Forleo
Education
Picture Books
Sulwe
by Lupita Nyong'o &
Vashti Harrison
Elementary
Guts
by Raina Telgemeier
Middle School
The Boy at the Back of
the Class
by Onjali Q. Raúf
High School
Scars Like Wings
by Erin Stewart
Advanced Reading
I'm Telling the Truth,
But I'm Lying: Essays
by Bassey Ikpi
Miscellaneous
Health & Wellness
Permission to Feel
by Marc Brackett
Gift & Special Interest
1,000 Places to See
Before You Die
(Deluxe Edition)
by Patricia Schultz
Religion
Holy Envy
by Barbara Brown Taylor
Politics & Current Events
The Threat
by Andrew G. McCabe
Biography & Memoir
They Called Us Enemy
by George Takei,
Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott,
& Harmony Becker
Category Winners
Business
The Culture Code
by Daniel Coyle
Children's Literature
Llamaphones
by Janik Coat
Wellness
This is Me
by Chrissy Metz
Religion
The Third Option
by Miles McPherson
Politics & Current Events
When They Call You a
Terrorist
by Patrisse Khan-Cullors
& asha bandele
Category Winners
Business
The Power of Moments
by Chip Heath & Dan Heath
Education
The Fire This Time
edited by Jesmyn Ward
Health
When Breath Becomes Air
by Paul Kalanithi