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James Patterson<\/strong> announced the winner of his first-ever James Patterson and Bookshop.org Prize, presenting the award to Virginia Evans<\/strong> for The Correspondent<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cCongratulations to Virginia Evans on winning our James Patterson + Bookshop.org prize for 2025 debut novelists,\u201d the Judge Stone<\/em> author, 79, wrote via Instagram<\/a> on Monday, April 6. \u201cI may have broke the news, but you have the support of the indie booksellers to thank!\u201d<\/p>\n Patterson relayed the news to Evans in a video call, which he posted alongside the announcement.<\/p>\n \u201cWe got together with Bookshop.org and went out to a lot of indies, which we always try to do to keep indies involved and get people more aware of books and all that good stuff, and they [looked at] a couple hundred books<\/a> in terms of people saying what they loved, what the booksellers loved, and then came down to five or so \u2026 really, really, really good books<\/a>,\u201d Patterson told Evans. \u201cSo, you\u2019re the winner. Yay!\u201d<\/p>\n 🎬 <\/strong>SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox<\/strong><\/a> 🎬<\/strong><\/p>\n Evans\u2014whose debut novel has been on the New York Times<\/em> bestsellers list<\/a> for 22 weeks following its April 2025 release\u2014expressed her gratitude<\/a> to Patterson for the honor, responding, \u201cWell, thank you<\/a>! That\u2019s so exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n Patterson and Bookshop.org<\/a> teamed up to offer a new literary prize celebrating debut authors who were hand-selected by booksellers at independent bookstores. The award honors outstanding full-length debut books published in the United States within the past 12 months, with all nominations and selections made by indie booksellers who represent readers in local communities. The grand prize winner receives $15,000, while the runner-up gets $10,000.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been a longtime supporter of indie bookstores\u2014and emerging authors. Creating this award that recognizes both the booksellers that are getting books into the hands of readers and of course, the books themselves, was a no-brainer to me,\u201d Patterson said on Bookshop.org\u2019s website, calling independent booksellers \u201cthe real experts.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to The Correspondent<\/a><\/em>, the longlist for the prize included The Hollow Half<\/em> by Sarah Aziza<\/strong>, When the Tides Held the Moon<\/a><\/em> by Venessa Vida Kelley<\/strong>, Aftertaste<\/em> by Daria Lavelle<\/strong>, It\u2019s Different This Time<\/em> by Joss Richard<\/strong>, The Nature of Pain<\/em> by Mandi Fugate Sheffel<\/strong>, My Oceans<\/em> by Christina Rivera<\/strong>, The Slip<\/em> by Lucas Schaefer<\/strong>, My Mother\u2019s Boyfriends<\/em> by Samantha Schoech<\/strong> and The Lilac People<\/em> by Milo Todd<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u201cFilled with knowledge that only comes from a life fully lived, The Correspondent<\/a><\/em> is a gem of a novel about the power of finding solace in literature and connection with people we might never meet in person,\u201d a blurb on the Bookshop.org website reads. \u201cIt is about the hubris of youth and the wisdom of old age, and the mistakes and acts of kindness that occur during a lifetime.\u201d<\/p>\n Todd\u2019s The Lilac People<\/em> was named the runner-up in the competition. The novel is described as \u201ca moving and deeply humane story about a trans man who must relinquish the freedoms of prewar Berlin to survive first the Nazis then the Allies, all while protecting the ones he loves.\u201d<\/p>\n This story was originally published by Parade<\/a> on Apr 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the News<\/a> section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n