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London Book Festival Names Circus Tale As Best of International Books

LONDON_ The story of a man who went from novice circus clown to starting his own traveling circus has won top honors in the 2025 London Book Festival, which honors the best of international publishing.

Author Rob Mermin’s Circle of Sawdust: A Circus Memoir of Mud, Myth, Mirth, Mayhem and Magic (Rootstock Publishing) is a personal story of the wild characters, fascinating personalities, remarkable histories, and behind-the-scenes world of traditional traveling circuses.

Mermin writes about the precarious life of a creative artist, the ups and downs of taking risks, and the idealistic struggle to hold onto a dream that culminates in his own venture. The look behind the tent flaps is a fascinating tale of adventure that is well worthy of top honors.

Other winners in the competition:

ROMANCE:

WINNER: Living on a Prayer – Katrina Alexander

RUNNER-UP: Ava – Janet R. Perroni

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

  • A perfect miracle – Katrina Alexander
  • Ava Again – Janet R. Perroni

SPIRITUAL/RELIGIOUS:

WINNER: Legacy – Christopher Morehouse

RUNNER-UP: Stellar Destinies volume I and II – Dr. Beatrix Czeizel and Anikó Greskó

YOUNG ADULT:

WINNER: The Boy Who Earned His Magic – Lynn Elliott

RUNNER-UP:The Third Estate Secrets of the Manor – D R Berlin

GENERAL FICTION:

WINNER: The Weif – Dell Brand

RUNNERS-UP:

  • Jhill – Sean O’Neil
  • The Lavender Blade – E.L. Deards
  • Usurper – Aaron T. Brownell
  • Descending Thirds – Nicole Conn
  • Of Mud and Honey – Roxana Trabulsi

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

  • She Left the Babies in the Bed – Elaine Crume
  • The Flat Tire – Fish Nealman
  • Nice Doing Business with You, Ma’am – Annelies George
  • Gravity Flow – E.M. Schorb
  • Boots – Michael Hanson
  • Until the Stars Align – Carolyn Summer Quinn
  • Conversations With My Mother – Ronald-Stephane Gilbert
  • In Silence Cries the Heart – Catherine Hughes
  • The Third Estate Secrets of the Manor – D R Berlin
  • A Life Saving Bullet – Krista Beggan
  • Zephyr’s Flight – Ray Strong
  • To Bloom Like a Tulip – Carolyn Summer Quinn
  • Catbird – Julia Davis
  • The Virgins of Venice – Gina Buonaguro
  • The Karma Sequence – A. O. Wagner
  • The Name I Choose – Holly Brough
  • Sniff – GC Brown
  • The Seeds in the Hills – Surendra Singnar

GENERAL NONFICTION:

WINNER: Geri o Shimasu: Adventures of a Baka Gaijin – Alia Luria

RUNNERS-UP:

  • Exploring Wine Regions – Mexico – Michael C. Higgins, PhD
  • Mission Out of Control – Dr. Charles Camarda
  • Seeds of Leadership – Will Lukang


HONORABLE MENTIONS:

  • Wreck on the Highway – Logan St. Michael
  • It’s Okay Not to Be Fabulous Every Day – Ally Dalsimer
  • The Tennis Champion Who Escaped the Nazis – Felice Hardy
  • The Invisible Industry – Bob McGlincy Larry Kulchawik
  • Life in a Tumble Dryer – Leoma Gilley
  • Why Not? – Teri Leigh Rouse
  • South Node Shaman – Shaman Melodie McBride 
  • Seeing Eye Girl – Beverly J. Armento
  • We All Want to be Happy, Vol. 2 – Ann Mullen-Martin
  • Dancing on Coals – Cynthia Moore
  • The 5 Pitfalls of a Relationship – Dr. La Grande Mason Jr. PhD
  • Untouched: Miraculous Recovery – Joan E. Anderson
  • The innovative guide to fashion and beauty – Murielle Gagné 

 

POETRY:

WINNER: Thunderstroke – Terence Ang

RUNNERS-UP:

  • Drifter – Douglas Cole
  • Perspectives from Poisons – Samantha Mineroff
  • Be – Will Espero 
  • The Mermelf-A Fable for Our Times – Deirdre Hines
  • Send Down the Master: – A. Keith Carreiro


HONORABLE MENTIONS:

  • The Cabin at the End of the World – Douglas Cole
  • Metanoia, A Collection of Poems – Joe Giampaolo
  • Death Kindly Stopped For Me – Corey Elizabeth Jackson
  • Dear Daughter – Samantha Mineroff

MEMOIR:

WINNER: Circle of Sawdust – Rob Mermin

RUNNER-UP:The Hate Game: Screaming in the Silence – Gary Trew

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY:

WINNER: Circle of Sawdust – Rob Mermin

RUNNER-UP: Hiding in Plain Sight – I. M. Enough

HONORABLE MENTION:

  • Little Boy I Know Your Name – Mitchell Raff
  • Seeing Eye Girl – Beverly J. Armento

BUSINESS:

WINNER: Go for Third – Derek Volk

RUNNER-UP:Brand Constellations – Steven Silverman

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

  • Connected – Jami Varela
  • Radicle Growth – Dave Reynolds

GENRE-BASED:

WINNER: His Majesty’s Sailor and the Girl in the Blue Coat – Michael David Gilston

RUNNERS-UP:

  • After You, My Dear – PJ Ellis
  • Born of Bombs and Bullets – David A. Dummer
  • The Game – Eve M. Riley


HONORABLE MENTIONS:

  • The Photograph – Eve M. Riley
  • The Third Estate Secrets of the Manor – D R Berlin
  • Sirens’ Song – S. Catherine Jones
  • The Forest: – Miriam Verbeek
  • The Ruthless Duke – Sandra Gharabaghli 
  • Bottled Lightning – L.M. Weeks

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

WINNER: Officer Erik and the Very Special Dad – Erik Estrada & Steven Manchester

RUNNER-UPS:

  • The Enchanted Journey of Remembering with Grandpa – Fernando Jackson
  • Autumn is Calling – Jan Thornton Jones
  • A Kindergarten Story – Tammy Donahue
  • Benjamin’s Special Memories – Fernando Jackson
  • A Win for Corrine – Dayle Dabney

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

  • Polka Dots and Tater Tots – Melinda Chambers
  • Lumilore: The Original Story of the Dragon Who Glowed – Sabine Ruh House
  • Popcorn the Squirrel – Rusty McQuade
  • Marcus and the Milk Snatcher – Kaye Patten
  • Henry Helps a Friend – Doreen Pullo-Fleisch
  • Say Cheese! – Kaye Patten
  • These Very BIG Feelings – Constance Terry-Morris

WILD CARD:

WINNER: Rebuilding the Renaissance: – Rocky Ruggiero, PhD

RUNNER-UP: Blonde Haired Girl’s The Scientist – Jayme Katha Tener

HONORABLE MENTION:

  • To Take a Soul – Sara Sultane

HOW-TO:

WINNER: Brave New You – Mary Poffenroth, Ph.D 

RUNNER-UP: Becoming Semi-Famous – Burke Allen

SCIENCE FICTION:

WINNER: Return to the Galaxy – BA Gillies

RUNNER-UP: World of She – G.W. Darcie 

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

COMPILATIONS/ANTHOLOGIES:

WINNER: The KEAK Anthology: – Dr. Katherine E.A. Korkidis

 

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