Joseph Howse wins multiple honors at the 2026 NYC Big Book Award

Joseph Howse’s The Circus and the Atom won top honors in World Literature and Audiobook-Fiction at the 2026 NYC Big Book Award, with additional recognition for cover design. The wins spotlight the second book in Howse’s Next Year’s Snow series and add momentum to both of his audiobooks.

Why it matters: - Joseph Howse’s latest book and audiobook expanded his profile across writing, narration and design. - The awards give the Next Year’s Snow series broader visibility in a competition that draws entries from publishers and self-published authors worldwide. - Recognition in both text and audio formats can help drive sales across print, digital and audiobook channels.

What happened: - Joseph Howse won multiple categories at the 2026 NYC Big Book Award. - The Circus and the Atom, the second book in the Next Year’s Snow series, was named category winner in World Literature and Audiobook-Fiction. - The book was also named a Distinguished Favorite for Book Cover Design – Fiction. - The Girl in the Water earned Distinguished Favorite in Audiobook-Fiction. - The Circus and the Atom took first place in Audiobook-Fiction. - Both audiobooks were narrated by Annette Chown.

The details: - Awards sponsor Gabby Olczak said the recognition spans the core text, audio performance and visual design. - Olczak also said the two audiobook wins were especially rewarding because of Annette Chown’s narration. - Printed Word Reviews called The Circus and the Atom “a riveting and deeply resonant work of historical fiction” and described it as set in Kiev on the eve of 1989. - Printed Word Reviews said the novel uses the last days of the Soviet Union to build a high-stakes, character-driven drama. - Printed Word Reviews earlier called The Girl in the Water “a deeply moving and meticulously crafted work of literary fiction” set in the Soviet Union in the 1980s. - The Circus and the Atom and The Girl in the Water are available in print, digital and audiobook formats at major booksellers worldwide. - Review links: Printed Word Reviews on The Circus and the Atom and Printed Word Reviews on The Girl in the Water.

Between the lines: - The NYC Big Book Award positions itself as a wide-open competition, with entries from major publishers, independent presses and self-published authors. - This year’s field included participants from multiple countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, China and the United Kingdom. - The award list also included a broad range of professions, from attorneys and doctors to historians and journalists. - The result suggests Howse’s work is landing across several review and awards categories, not just one niche.

What's next: - The NYC Big Book Award winners and distinguished favorites are available on the awards site. - The award organization says it announces winners every fall. - It also promotes the Independent Press Award and an awards dinner tied to BookCAMP in April 2027. - More information is available at the awards list and the awards dinner.