‘Divine Witnesses’ Tops 2026 London Book Festival
LONDON_ A collection of stories told by those who bore witness to Christ and his many miracles is the grand prize winner of the 2026 London Book Festival, which celebrates the best of international publishing.
Author Steven Manchester’s Divine Witnesses (Luna Bella Press) imagines scenarios featuring Biblical characters interacting with Jesus, applying lessons and miracles to modern-day challenges. Divine Witnesses bears witness to Jesus Christ’s three-year ministry from a myriad of different perspectives.
The relatable story collection and its crisp writing make for a compelling read.
Other winners in the competition:
BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY:
WINNER: Spirit Guides and Angels: Death and Taxes — Wayne Cesaro
RUNNERS-UP:
My Family and “Them Languages” — Aline P’nina Tayar
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Love’s Cauldron: — Jennifer J. Lehr
Unexpected Gift — Rony Jane
BUSINESS:
WINNER: Careers By the People — Mike Wysocki
RUNNERS-UP:
How to Write a Self-Help Book in 14 Days — Lisa Daily
The Asset Play — Capt. Pradeep Singh
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Climb Greater Heights — Tony Jeton Selimi
The Invisible Industry — Bob McGlincy
CHILDREN’S BOOKS:
WINNER: Bailey’s Awesome Day — Mary Mayo Balfour Calvert
RUNNERS-UP:
A Flower for You — Tasha Nicole Terani
The Ridiculous Party — Julie Rogers Pomilia
A Tale of Two Seeds — C. Blatt
The Umbrella — Vickie Wilder
L’echange d’histoires: Une tradition familiale — Vassi Rombis
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Hamish & Jasper: The Giant Rescued Rabbits — Alan Barclay
Grandpa Red and the Cherokee Rose — H.H. Madsen
There’s a Girebra in the Forest — Mike Stonecypher
¿Me Dolerá el Corte de Pelo? — Martha Goldner
The Heart of a Leader — Dr. Josh McConkey
It’s Okay to Have Feelings — Patricia Miller
A Princess on Her Own Terms — Kirsty Demuth
COMPILATIONS/ANTHOLOGIES:
WINNER: Gravity Flow: The Jimmy Whistler Stories — EM Schorb
RUNNER-UP:
Chasing Legends: Motorcycle Stories from the Podcast Trail — Aaron Pufal
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Doña Basura Manda: en una Tierra Llena — Martha Goldner
Fantastic!: A Celebration of Fans Discovering Doctor Who — Nicholas Seidler
GENERAL FICTION:
WINNER: Then Came The Summer Snow — Trisha T Pritikin
RUNNERS-UP:
A Step Too Far — Dell Brand
May Dodd — Jim Fergus
The Long Farewell — Bob Van Laerhoven
Asayi An Autistic Teen’s Journey to Topple a Shogun in Medieval Japan — Sharon Curcio
One Ordinary Man — Steve Vesce
Purple Dove — J A Crawshaw
An Improbable Alliance — Diane Coia-Ramsay
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
The Fateful Voyage of the Empress of Ireland — Cheryl Roberts Gale
Attacking the Dragon — A. Marc Ross
Conniption Creek — Earl L Carlson
Framed in Love — Clifton Wilcox
In Search of Achilles — Marco van den Berg Scholten
Second Life — Jim Sniechowski, PhD
The Invisible Hand — Douglas Cole
The Return of the Flying Boat — Dale Morton
Munyori and Johannes in 72 Hours – Valencia Williams
GENERAL NONFICTION:
WINNER: Masters of the Ocean Sea — Andrei Romanov
RUNNERS-UP:
Imperial Religious Policy from Constantine to Theodosius – Ferdinando Emilio Abbate
The Call I Almost Missed: — Tommy Short
Before Their Crimes — Dr. Wendy Smith
Palimony – Steve Grossman
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Overcoming the Fear of Being Fabulous — Judith Sherven, PhD and Jim Sniechowski, PhD
Uprooted: A Memoir of Belonging and Becoming — S.B. Long
Being Broken — Geoffrey R Jonas
The Price of Hope — Rony Jane
Litter Lady Leads: in a Litter-filled Land — Martha Goldner
GENRE-BASED:
WINNER: Escala’s Wish — David James
RUNNERS-UP:
Breathe Easy — Tammy Donahue
The Flame and the Sword — Sandra Gharabaghli
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Therein Lies the Pearl — Catherine Hughes
Vows of Love — Sandra Gharabaghli
The Escape – Eve M. Riley
HOW-TO:
WINNER: One Teacher at a Time – Ken Rand
RUNNER-UP:
The 100-Page Subscription Pricing Book — Felix Mörée
MEMOIR:
WINNER: No Map Just Vision — Capt. Pradeep Singh
RUNNER-UP:
Dancing with the Shadow – Agnes Bristow
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
My Family and ‘Them Languages@ — Aline P’nina Tayar
Chasing Sex: Wanting Love, Finding Myself: A Memoir — Patti Britton
A Time Like No Other – Ken Rand
PHOTOGRAPHY/ART:
WINNER: The Other Worldly Deep — Charles Rawlings
RUNNER-UP:
In The Valley of the Shadow — Steven Manchester & Brian Fox
POETRY:
WINNER: Ireland’s Unparalleled Essence Vol. 1-5 — Norbert G. Gomes
RUNNERS-UP:
A Flower for You — Tasha Nicole Terani
The Wonderful Attic of Dreams – Ebenezer Makinde
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
American Mobile — EM Schorb
All the Shoulders of the Earth – Natia Khaduri
ROMANCE:
WINNER: Ava Again — Janet R. Perroni
RUNNER-UP:
Ava’s Connection: A Tumultuous Heart — Janet R. Perroni
SCIENCE FICTION:
WINNER: Diverging Streams — Earl L Carlson
SELF-HELP:
WINNER: Must: Becoming the Person You Are Meant to Be — Stephen Rue
RUNNER-UP:
How to Write a Self-Help Book in 14 Days — Lisa Daily
SPIRITUAL/RELIGIOUS:
WINNER: Divine Witnesses — Steven Manchester
RUNNERS-UP:
What Does Jesus See in You? — Coleen Aquino and Conrad Aquino
The Cosmic Caretaker — Ang Anderson
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
No Place Like Heaven — Jill Deville
Spirit Guides and Angels: Death and Taxes — Wayne Cesaro
An Unknown Angel’s Gift — Cherie S. Blackwell
WILD CARD:
WINNER: Ava — Janet R. Perroni
RUNNER-UP:
Ava Again — Janet R. Perroni
YOUNG ADULT:
WINNER: The Concert — Lawson McDowell
RUNNERS-UP:
Guardians of the Cosmic Clocks – Jabril Yousef Faraj
Overtwixt: Welcome to the World of Bridges — R. L. Akers
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Can Skinwalkers Swim? — Michael Wescott Loder
The Greenbrier River Adventures — Rusty McQuade