2026 POTY BOOK AWARDS BOOK OF THE YEAR
A REAL ANIMAL by EMELINE ATWOOD
A Real Animal follows Lucy through the decade dividing college and real adulthood, as she navigates three distinct romantic relationships, reckons with the false promise of family intimacy, and seeks connection with the sublime and natural worlds. Lucy wants her life to be extraordinary. But this desire never seems to graft easily onto the smallness of her world. As a senior in college struggling to quell the destructive effects of a sexual assault, she gets a glimpse of a different plane of existence—more wild, physical, animal. She moves away from home, breaks up with her long term boyfriend, stops speaking to her mother, and starts dating a complicated, violent man.
As she changes cities, friends, and partners, there is a persistent sense of wildness in Lucy and in her world that’s only ever barely being controlled. The thrum of a nonhuman existential force in the back of her mind urges her to reject the ordinary, but also reminds her that she is alone in the world. She feels it in the depths of the ocean while deep sea diving, in the cold silences on phone calls with her sister and her mom, in the misunderstanding gaze of a man she thought would love her forever.
Guided by Emeline Atwood’s lightspeed, suspenseful prose, we follow Lucy across states, jobs, relationships, and stages of intimacy with her family, witnessing both moments of horrific pain and quotidian happiness. The years pass by seamlessly, bringing her to the edge of her twenties and back to an altered, barren version of her childhood home, where she must finally come to terms with the fear that being human itself might mean feeling alone, and wild, and unknowable.
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A Real Animal by Emeline Atwood is the kind of novel that refuses to be forgotten. Fearless, raw, and strikingly original, Atwood explores trauma, identity, desire, violence, and the uncertain passage into adulthood through an unforgettable protagonist who is as flawed as she is deeply human. With its inventive structure, visceral prose, and remarkable emotional honesty, the novel finds something wild and universal beneath the complexities of modern life. Bold, unpredictable, and beautifully written, A Real Animal stood apart as our choice for the 2026 POTY Book Awards Book of the Year.
EMELINE ATWOOD is the author of the debut novel A Real Animal, published by Catapult in July 2026. The novel received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Shelf Awareness; was selected as an American Booksellers Association Indie Next pick and 2026 Indies Introduce title; and has been longlisted for The Center for Fiction 2026 First Novel Prize. The book has been recommended by Vogue, People, TIME, The New Yorker, New York Magazine, and the Chicago Review of Books, among others. Atwood was named one of CULTURED Magazine’s 2026 Young Writers and one of Publishers Weekly’s 2026 Writers to Watch.
Atwood grew up in Milton, Massachusetts and graduated summa cum laude from Harvard. She is a recipient of the Thomas T. Hoopes Prize, the Louis Begley Prize, the Roger Conant Hatch Prize for Lyric Poetry, and the Le Baron Russell Briggs Fiction Prize. She received her MFA in fiction and poetry from the Michener Center for Writers. She lives in Austin, Texas.
2026 POTY BOOK AWARDS FINALISTS
2027 POTY BOOK AWARDS
One-Category Entry
A single-category book submission qualifies an author for a category prize as well as the prize of "Book of the Year." A full list of categories is available below or on page 2 of the entry form.
$39 per title/per category
(Example: One book in two categories equals $78.00--requires separate $39 transactions)
*AWARD TIMELINE*
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 7/11/2027
ANNOUNCEMENT OF FINALISTS: 8/8/2027
ANNOUNCEMENT OF WINNERS: 8/15/2027
ANNOUNCEMENT OF BOOK OF THE YEAR: 8/22/2027
SUBMISSION CHECKLIST
• Submit your entry fee online.
• Email a copy of your completed entry form, along with a PDF copy of your book (including the cover), to "admin@personsoftheyear.com."
• Attach an author bio and any previous press releases or marketing materials for each title (if available).
About The POTY Book Awards
OUR MISSION
The mission of the POTY Book Awards is to recognize and honor outstanding achievements in literature while promoting diversity, inclusivity, and the exploration of different perspectives. We aim to celebrate authors who captivate readers with their unique voices, thought-provoking narratives, and contributions to the literary world.
At the heart of the POTY Book Awards is a passionate and dedicated team of individuals committed to the celebration of literary excellence and diversity. The team brings together diverse talents and expertise, united by a shared love for literature and a belief in the transformative power of storytelling.
*AWARD TIMELINE*
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 7/11/2027
ANNOUNCEMENT OF FINALISTS: 8/8/2027
ANNOUNCEMENT OF WINNERS: 8/15/2027
ANNOUNCEMENT OF BOOK OF THE YEAR: 8/22/2027
2027 CATEGORIES
FICTION
Adventure
Animals/Pets
Anthologies
Children's
Cover Design
Drama
Dystopian
Fantasy
General
Grief
Historical
Horror
Humor
Inspirational
Legacy (books older than 2021)
LGBTQ
Multicultural
Mystery
New Age
Novella
Poetry
Religion
Romance
Science Fiction
Spirituality
Sports
Suspense
Thriller
Women's
Young Adult
NON-FICTION
Academic
Animals/Pets
Art
Biography
Business
Children’s
Cooking
Cover Design
Death and Dying
Drama
Educational
Family
General
Health
History
Hobbies
Humor
Inspirational
Journalism
Law
Legacy (books older than 2021)
LGBTQ
Memoir
Multicultural
Music
Poetry
Politics
Religion
Self-Help
Social Change
Spirituality
Sports
Travel
True Crime
Women's
Young Adult
