CALIBA presents the 2027 Golden Poppy Awards in recognition of the most distinguished books written and illustrated by creators who have made California their home.

Committees for each category are made up of booksellers throughout the state tasked with developing a list of five finalists and one winner.

2027 Timeline for Submissions:

Beginning in November, publishers are welcome to complete the submission form for eligible titles. Once the CALIBA office verifies eligibility, they will provide publishers with committee lists. Review copies should be submitted as early as possible upon receipt of committee lists.

Final submission forms must be submitted by June 13th, 2027. The office will not accept books submitted after this date. Judges are not obligated to consider review copies that arrive after July 6th, 2027. 

In the event of a dispute regarding eligibility, CALIBA staff will decide whether a book is eligible, and its decision will be binding.

Eligible Titles Must

• Have an original publication date between November 16, 2026-November 15, 2027.
• Be available for resale through traditional wholesale channels, fully returnable (Ingram/Publishers) or returnable with credit (Asterism), and at standard industry discounts. Click here for more details.
• The author/illustrator must live in California during the writing/illustrating process but does not need to be a resident at the time of publication/consideration.
• Books by authors who have won in the same category within the last two years will not be eligible for a Golden Poppy in the current year.

We support human created work. Applicants will be asked to attest that their submission was not created with generative AI. To learn more, visit CALIBA's AI Policy webpage.

For a full list of details, dates and deadlines, visit the Golden Poppy 2027 webpage

Submit Your Eligible Titles!
Adult Categories

Submit Your Eligible Titles!
Children's Categories