The Goethe Hall of Fame

Celebrating the Best Late Historical Fiction with the Goethe Awards!

**Send Us Your Story by the end of August!**

One of our many Historical Fiction Categories, Named after German Writer, Scientist and Playwright Johan Wolfgang Van Goethe (1749-1832), Considered to be one of the most Influential and Greatest Writers of the German Language.

This Award Division covers anything after 1750, so there can be anything from The American Revolution, to the 1930s.

For our other Historical Fiction Divisions, See the Chaucer Award for Pre-1750, Hemingway for 20th & 21st Century Wartime and Laramie for Western and Americana

Let’s take a look at some of our Grand Prize Winners and Discover your next great read!

Abigail’s Song
By Alina Rubin

Our review for the newest Grand Prize Winner is forthcoming. In the meantime, here is what some GoodReads readers have been saying:

“Abigail’s Song is a powerful novel about Jewish/Gentile relationships set in 1800s England. The novel’s protagonist Abigail is a sixteen-year-old orphan who is taken in by a Jewish family after becoming severely ill on the streets. Abigail is skeptical of Jews at first but soon realizes that her prejudices were wrong and that she has been taken in by a family who genuinely loves and cares for her.

The novel offers great chemistry between Abigail, David, and the rest of David’s family. Rubin has a penchant for writing sharp dialogue and an excellent eye for detail when observing Jewish customs.” -Eric

“ABIGAIL’S SONG is a tender, heart-warming novel about young Abigail, an impoverished Catholic orphan in early 19th century England. Her path to happiness and fulfillment is blocked by death, neglect, prejudice, and ignorance, but in an almost true-Dickensian turn-of-events, she is found and adopted by a devoted, talented, and close-knit Jewish family.

Acceptance, love, music, and even romance, comes Abigail’s way, and through the course of the novel she blossoms from a needy child into a young woman who not only knows how to harness her emotional strength, but can help others do the same.” -Ana

See more here!

If Someday Comes
By David Calloway

David Calloway’s moving historical fiction, If Someday Comes: A Slave’s Story of Freedom, tells the true story of his great-grandfather George Calloway, born into slavery on January 8, 1829. in Cleveland, Tennessee.

It is a tale of determination, perseverance, and achievement before and during the Civil War. If Someday Comes covers George’s final years in slavery; detailed accounts of the Civil War and its impacts on George and his family, both Black and White.

It is a family saga of survival and endurance.

The story begins in Cleveland, Tennessee, March 6^th, 1857. We meet George and his family, his wife Elizabeth, their infant daughter Baby Caroline, and the stratified world of slavery in which they live. Thomas Howard Calloway (Marsa Thom), is their White owner who owns the East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad, the South’s only copper mines, and the local bank. He is one of Cleveland’s prominent town leaders.

Read More Here

After The Rising & Before The Fall
By Orna Ross

 

Award-winning Irish author Orna Ross has created a volume comprising the first two novels of The Irish Trilogy, drawing from her Irish birth and upbringing for a special grasp of the country’s history, how its wars and political strivings have affected its people directly, personally, over multiple generations.

Her two books take on a span of time rooted in the early 1920s and delve deeply into the interlocking fate of the extended family and ancestry of Jo Devereux. Jo, the book’s central narrator, leaves Ireland in her twenties, only returning in her forties in 1995 when she learns that her mother is near death.

The journey back will draw her into the family’s complex relationships, and reacquaint her with Rory, her former, and perhaps only, true love.

Read More Here

The Aloha Spirit
By Linda Ulleseit

In Linda Ulleseit’s novel The Aloha Spirit, we meet the plucky heroine, Dolores, as her father leaves her.

“Dolores’s father deemed her useless when she was seven. Neither he nor her older brother, Pablo, ever said that, but every detail of their leaving told her so. Papa had tried to explain the Hawaiian custom of hānai to her. All she understood was the giving away, leaving her to live with a family not her own.”

Her story starts in 1922; the place, multi-ethnic, multilingual Hawaii. Papa, a sugar cane cutter from Spain who worked in Hawaii, decides to take his son Pablo with him to seek his fortune in California. His wife died five years earlier. He leaves 7-year-old Dolores with a large family on Oahu in an arrangement called hānai, an informal adoption. Dolores doesn’t know the family well. She feels abandoned, with no idea when or if her father will send for her or return.

Read More Here

Peccadillo At The Palace: An Annie Oakley Mystery
By Kari Bovee

Kari Bovée’s Peccadillo at the Palace, the second book in the Annie Oakley Mystery series, is a historical, mystery thriller extraordinaire. Fans of both genres will thrill at Bovée’s complex plot that keeps us guessing from its action-packed beginning to the satisfying reveal at the end.

The book opens with the Honorable Colonel Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show to England on a voyage to perform for Queen Victoria. They are not on the high seas long, when Annie’s beloved horse, Buck, jumps overboard. Her husband and the Queen’s loyal servant, Mr. Bhakta, jump in to save the horse, or was Mr. Bhakta already dead before he reached the water? Thus, begins the mystery of who killed Mr. Bhakta, leaving all to wonder, is the Queen safe?

Someone wanted the Queen’s man dead, and he is, but was it a matter of racism, intrigue, or an accident? Annie’s search for clues points her in several directions, but is it the doctor, or the woman dressed in rags with the posh accent, or the crass American businessman and his floozy wife? All have motive.  Even Annie’s husband has motive with his Irish background and ties to the Fenians and the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

Read More Here

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Thank you for celebrating our Goethe Hall of Fame Winners with us!

Remember to add your next reads to your StoryGraph or Goodreads account! Now that you’re set on your next five reads, what are you waiting for? The only way to join this amazing list of Goethe Winners is **Send Us Your Story by the end of August!**

Those who submit and advance will have the chance to win the Overall Grand Prize of the CIBAs and $1000!

Are you a Chanticleer Author who has some good news to share? Let us know! We’re always looking for a reason to crow about Chanticleerians!

Reach out with your news to info@ChantiReviews.com

If you have a great Post 1750 Historical Fiction Story, submit it to us before the end of August to enter the 2025 CIBAs!

The Goethe Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Late Historical (Post 1750s) Fiction. The Grand Prize Winner, Alina Rubin’s book, Abigail’s Song will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the Goethe contest page year ’round!

The best part about being a Chanticleer Int’l Book Award Winner is the love and attention you get all year ‘round!

The 2024 Goethe Winners were announced at the 2025 Chanticleer Authors Conference in April, and you can see the official winners post here!

Join us in celebrating the 2024 First Place Goethe Winners!

Janis Robinson Daly – The Path Beneath Her Feet

Steeped in rich historical detail, Dr. Eliza Edwards, the ingénue student in The Unlocked Path, becomes the mature mentor, steadfast in her calling to effect social change by addressing women’s health issues and guiding others to realize their dreams. In 1936, as the Depression ravages careers, Eliza re-defines her abilities, traveling to Georgia and Tennessee as she reclaims her purpose and rediscovers her ambitions. Returning to Boston, she endures heartbreak with the eruption of World War II, bringing chaos to the world and sending her sons into battle. Will her unyielding pursuit to limit suffering and save lives sustain her amid the tumultuous landscapes of 1930s and 1940s America?

Find it Locally and on Amazon!

Sandra Wagner – Wright- Sea Tigers and Merchants

Also a 2024 Series Award Winner!

In 1790 the United States has a new Constitution. George Washington presides as the first elected president. Abroad, France and Britain are at war. And by 1795 seafaring Americans are accosted on the high seas by French privateers and British naval ships.

Tensions rise as American merchants continue to trade. Among them, Hasket Derby and Captain George Crowninshield acquire wealth and build maritime empires while their sons and other adventurous young men take risks on the high seas and in the exotic ports at Isle de France, India, and China dodging accidents, disease, British warships and French privateers. A rich cargo, the turn of a card, or an unlucky storm can make or break a young man’s career. But men like Nath Silsbee fight for the chance to make their fortune and become part of America’s promise.

Women are equally determined and adventurous. Orphaned Lizzie Rowell takes a job at Ship Tavern, and meets the dashing Captain George Crowninshield Jr., a man far above her station in life. Torn between duty and desire, Geordie must choose between his family’s expectations and his growing affection for a mere tavern maid.

In this historical page-turner, family bonds are tested and romantic dreams challenged against the backdrop of ambition and adventure on the high seas. Immerse yourself in the captivating world of trade and intrigue in the new United States of America.

From Chanticleer:

Sandra Wagner-Wright’s audible version of Sea Tigers & Merchants: A New American Generation, Salem Stories Book 2 continues the sagas of two prominent families that dominate the shipping industry of young Salem. Narrator Christa Lewis fully embodies the unique characters of this swashbuckling historical adventure.

Wagner-Wright takes us back to 1790. In recently independent America, the next generation of the Crowninshield and Derby families try to continue building their fortunes on the treacherous high seas. Threats of pirates, storms, and ever-changing economies drives their fates, their successes, and their failures. Wagner-Wright’s skillful pen brings to life each young person, female and male, as they variously seek out or shun a chance at love on shore.

Captain George Crowninshield and Haskett Derby duke it out for power and control of the Eastern Seaboard, with their families caught up in the contest.

Wagner-Wright shows how these merchants brave great risk through maritime exploits in France, the Netherlands, the West Indies, Africa, and Asia. During their adventures on the sea, these captains fight relentlessly for the vessels—which become as famous as those captains themselves.

Read More Here!

Find it Locally and on Amazon!

James Conroyd Martin – Napoleon’s Shadow Wife: A Novel of Countess Marie Walewska

Embark on a voyage through unconditional love, power, and betrayal!

How could an emperor like Napoleon Bonaparte be so captivated by the twenty-year-old Polish Countess Marie Walewska—admittedly a rare beauty but of minor nobility—that their affair would last through both his marriages? And if it wasn’t romance that first drew Marie to Napoleon, what was it?

At just eight years old, Marie finds her life forever changed by the death of her father, killed in battle against the Russians. This tragedy sparks a deep, lifelong patriotism in her as Poland is fragmented and divided among Russia, Prussia, and Austria.

A fan of Napoleon since her school days, Marie eagerly seizes the opportunity to meet him when he passes through the former Poland, his intention to secure military support for his campaign to conquer Russia. She seeks only to express Poland’s gratitude and hope he would restore the nation’s independence. She never imagined a romantic entanglement. But Napoleon, taken with her patriotism, youth, and beauty, soon sets his sights on her—and begins a campaign to win her heart.

Though Marie resists, powerful forces pressure her—just as they had in her marriage—to give in to the emperor’s desires.

Expect to be immersed in Marie’s world, where love and loyalty collide amidst a galaxy of powerful aristocrats, politicians, and military leaders. You’ll journey from Marie’s manor house on the plains of Poland to cosmopolitan Warsaw, through grand palaces in Austria, France, and Italy—before sailing to the Island of Elba, where destiny awaits.

Find it on Bookbub and Amazon!

Florence Reiss Kraut – Street Corner Dreams

A suspenseful family saga, love story, and gangster tale, wrapped into one great book club read . . .

Just before WWI, Golda comes to America yearning for independence, but she tosses aside her dreams of freedom and marries her widowed brother-in-law after her sister dies giving birth to their son, Morty.

In the crowded streets of Brooklyn where Jewish and Italian gangs demand protection money from local storekeepers and entice youngsters with the promise of wealth, Golda, Ben, and Morty thrive as a family. But in the Depression, Ben, faced with financial ruin, makes a dangerous, life-altering choice. Morty tries to save his father by getting help from a gangster friend but the situation only worsens. Forced to desert his family and the woman he loves in order to survive, Morty is desperate to go home. Will he ever find a safe way back? Or has his involvement with the gang sealed his fate?

Another stunning work of historical fiction by Florence Reiss Kraut, Street Corner Dreams is an exploration of a timeless question: how much do we owe the families that have sacrificed for and shaped us—and does that debt outweigh what we owe ourselves and our own hopes and dreams for a better life?

Find it Locally and on Amazon!

Leo Daughtry – Talmadge Farm

It’s 1957, and tobacco is king. Wealthy landowner Gordon Talmadge enjoys the lavish lifestyle he inherited but doesn’t like getting his hands dirty; he leaves that to the two sharecroppers – one white, one Black – who farm his tobacco but have bigger dreams for their own children. While Gordon takes no interest in the lives of his tenant farmers, a brutal attack between his son and the sharecropper children sets off a chain of events that leaves no one unscathed. Over the span of a decade, Gordon struggles to hold on to his family’s legacy as the old order makes way for a New South.

A sweeping drama that follows three unforgettable families navigating the changing culture of North Carolina at a pivotal moment in history, readers have been raving that Talmadge Farm is one they cannot put down. Perfect for fans of Wiley Cash and Amor Towles.

Find it Locally and on Amazon!

Jeza Belle – Blood Rouge

Josef Dietrick lives with his self-absorbed mother, abusive step-father, and bullying step-brother, Marteen, in 1930s Berlin, Germany. When a brutal sexual attack at the hands of Marteen’s friend, Tielo, sends Josef homeless into the streets, he is taken in by the kind-hearted Lucas and his sister Anke.

Over time, gender-fluid Josef transforms into die blaue blume, the blue flower of Schöneberg, at one of the last underground cabarets for gay men and their entertainers, known as dolls.

A raid on the Rote Schwein leads to the capture of both Josef and Lucas who are violently carted off to Dachau, the notorious death camp. Here Josef is forced to choose between his lover Lucas or his now-Nazi childhood assaulter, Tielo. Forced into a form of slavery, Josef hatches a desperate plan to save both Lucas and himself forever.

Will Josef choose self-preservation or to live authentically? Can he do both?

Warning: contains sexual assault.

Find it Locally and on Amazon!

R.W. Meek – Sabrine and Vincent Van Gogh, Book 2 of the Dream Collector

Sabrine, hospitalized for five years at the infamous Salpêtrière Asylum for Women, gains her release due to the intervention of her sister Julie Forette and a young Sigmund Freud. The reunited sisters are introduced to the dazzling art milieu of 1886 Paris, and soon become close friends to the leading Impressionists. Sabrine attracts a cult following as a poetess, the enigmatic “Haiku Princess.” Seemingly cured by Freud of her Grand Hysteria, Sabrine soon enters into a tumultuous relationship with Vincent van Gogh.

Jule and Sigmund Freud, alarmed by the eerie parallels between the emotionally volatile couple and their self-destructive impulses, begin an urgent search to discover the root causes for Sabrine and Vincent’s growing psychoses. Julie, ‘The Dream Collector’ seeks their most unforgettable dream for Freud’s interpretation and revelations occur.

The Dream Collector is an exploration of the psychological consequences of betrayal, abandonment–and the redemptive power of art.

Find it Locally and on Amazon!

Sherry V. Ostroff – The Wall at the Sugar Factory

When Shaindel Pogrebiski’s life is shattered and uprooted by the senseless looting and murder that follow the civil war in Ukraine in 1919, she needs to figure out how to survive. With only her young daughter, Shaindel must flee the turmoil. But where will she go? While the world seems indifferent to the bloodbath upending Shaindel’s homeland, who will take in the refugees fleeing for their lives?

The era of the anti-Jewish riots, the pogroms in Ukraine from 1918-1921, has taken on new scrutiny. Some scholars suggest that this period which resulted in great atrocities against the shtetl Jews, perpetuated by their neighbors, was really the beginning of the Holocaust. The pogroms normalized the slaughter and created ready and willing executioners for the Nazis. Their goal of making Europe Judenrein became easier.

Find it Locally and on Amazon!

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Thank you for joining us to celebrate the 2024 Goethe First Place Winners!

Your book can join the Tiers of Achievement, but only if you submit to the Goethe Awards!

Got a great Historical Fiction Story?

The 2025 Goethe Book Awards are open through the end of August!

Where History Comes Alive on the Page

The Goethe Awards Celebrate Late Historical Fiction Excellence

The submissions for the 2025 Awards are underway, and Goethe closes on August 31, 2025!

From the elegant ballrooms of the Regency era to the trenches of the Great War, from Victorian drawing rooms to the tumultuous changes of the early 20th century, the Goethe Awards celebrate the rich tapestry of late historical fiction. Named for the great German writer who understood that literature must capture the spirit of its age, these awards honor authors who bring post-1750s history to vivid, authentic life.

Late historical fiction occupies a unique space in literature: close enough to our modern world that we can trace the roots of contemporary society, yet distant enough to feel like stepping into another universe entirely. These are the periods that shaped our current world: the rise of industrial society, the emergence of modern democracy, the birth of contemporary romance, and the social movements that defined human progress.

The Art of Bringing Recent History to Life

Writing compelling late historical fiction requires a delicate balance of thorough research and engaging storytelling. Authors must master not just the major historical events, but the daily details that make a world feel authentic—how people dressed, spoke, courted, worked, and dreamed. The best late historical fiction doesn’t just tell us what happened; it helps us understand how it felt to live through transformative periods of human history.

These stories resonate with modern readers because they explore themes that remain relevant today: social class struggles, religious freedom, women’s rights, immigration, and the eternal human desires for love, family, and belonging. Whether set in Napoleonic England or Jazz Age America, these novels illuminate both how much the world has changed and how much human nature remains constant.

The research required for excellent late historical fiction is extraordinary! Authors often spend years studying everything from period clothing to social customs, from political movements to technological innovations, ensuring that every detail serves both historical accuracy and narrative power.

Celebrating Our 2024 Grand Prize Winner!

We’re delighted to honor Alina Rubin, whose moving novel Abigail’s Song claimed the 2024 Goethe Grand Prize with a beautifully crafted story set in 1809 England. The novel follows orphaned Abigail Jones, who after losing her mother and being cast out on Christmas Eve, finds refuge with medical student Oli Higgins (born David Fridman), who is hiding his Jewish identity to pursue his profession. Through Oli’s devout, loving Jewish family, Abigail discovers both belonging and her musical talents.

Rubin masterfully explores the complex social dynamics of early 19th-century England, particularly the challenges faced by religious minorities and the rigid class structures that determined life opportunities. As Abigail grows up caught between worlds, “not Christian enough for the Gentiles, but as a non-Jew, she has no hope of marrying David.” The novel examines themes of identity, belonging, and the healing power of music that resonate across centuries. In addition to ongoing promotional features, Abigail’s Song will be regularly promoted throughout the year and for the next five years in our upcoming Hall of Fame posts. Alina Rubin will also be invited to participate in a Chanticleer 10-Question Interview, and Abigail’s Song will receive a coveted Chanticleer Editorial Review.

Categories That Span the Modern Historical Era

The Goethe Awards welcome historical fiction across the transformative periods of recent history:

• Regency & Georgian – The elegant world of Jane Austen and beyond, featuring social refinement and romantic complexity
• Turn of the Century – The pivotal period when the 19th century gave way to the modern world
• 20th Century – The dynamic decades that shaped contemporary society (excluding wartime, which belongs to Hemingway)
• World/International History – Global perspectives on historical events and cultural movements
• U.S. History – American stories from the colonial period through modern times
• 1830s-1900s, Victorian Era & Edwardian – The height of empire, industrial revolution, and social transformation

Each category represents a different window into the forces that created our modern world, from intimate personal stories to sweeping social movements.

Explore All Historical Fiction Divisions

The Goethe Awards are part of Chanticleer’s comprehensive celebration of historical fiction across all time periods:

• Chaucer Awards for Early Historical Fiction – Ancient times through medieval periods, capturing the distant past
• Hemingway Awards for 20th Century Wartime Fiction – The World Wars and military conflicts of the modern era
• Laramie Awards for Americana Fiction – First Nation stories, The American frontier, pioneer tales, Civil War narratives, and contemporary westerns

Whether your historical fiction spans ancient civilizations or recent decades, Chanticleer offers a home for every period and perspective.

Looking at Historical Excellence

Check out some of these outstanding late historical fiction works we’ve celebrated recently!

Tsarina’s Jewels
By Jerena Tobiasen

Viscount Simon Nightingale-Temple seeks a life of peace with his beloved Mary after the harrowing years of the Bolshevik Revolution. But in Tsarina’s Jewels, the second book in Jerena Tobiasen’s The Nightingale and Sparrow Chronicles, Simon is dragged back into global conflict through his very family.

While serving in the British Embassy in Petrograd, Simon witnessed firsthand that bloody revolution and the assassination of the Tsar’s family—all but one daughter, Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna, the beautiful woman who became his wife.

Maria, “Mary”, hides in plain sight among the British aristocracy, and the couple hope to settle into their lives with Simon’s parents. However, soon after his return, the highest levels of the British government force Simon into service for the newly minted MI6.  Under threat of being blamed entirely for the Romanov family’s execution, Simon has no choice but to accept.

Little does Simon know he’ll soon be spying on his own brother.

Read More Here

See our Review of Book 1 Here

Sea Tigers & Merchants
By Sandra Wagner-Wright

A Goethe and Series First Place Winner!

Two families vie for power in mercantile 18^th-century Salem. Sea Tigers and Merchants, the second book in Sandra Wagner-Wright’s Salem Stories series, returns to a world of treacherous storms, tantalizing wealth, and the demands of high society on its children.

Elias Hasket Derby, Sr. has kept his promise to his wife Eliza—they rule Salem. Hasket’s merchant ships bring in great fortune, while Eliza holds court as the most influential woman in the city’s social spheres. And their ambitions have grown to meet their station. Hasket launches his riskiest endeavor—the Grand Turk, a ship so massive she’s nearly too heavy to be pulled out of the docks. Meanwhile Eliza, snubbed by George Washington’s stay at another family’s mansion, insists they build a house so grand it will put all others to shame.

Such success, of course, draws the envious eye of Hasket’s competitor.

The Crowninshield family has an uphill battle before them. The patriarch, George, Sr., is unable to employ all his own sons as captains of his small fleet—leaving them to work for their uncle Hasket. But George shares Hasket’s ambition. With the support of his wife, Hasket’s sister Mary, he builds greater ships of his own. If only he could get his eldest sons to follow his wishes, all his goals would fall into place.

Read More Here

See our Review of Book 1 Here

If Someday Comes
By David Calloway

The 2023 Goethe Grand Prize Winner!

David Calloway’s moving historical fiction, If Someday Comes: A Slave’s Story of Freedom, tells the true story of his great-grandfather George Calloway, born into slavery on January 8, 1829. in Cleveland, Tennessee.

It is a tale of determination, perseverance, and achievement before and during the Civil War. If Someday Comes covers George’s final years in slavery; detailed accounts of the Civil War and its impacts on George and his family, both Black and White.

It is a family saga of survival and endurance.

The story begins in Cleveland, Tennessee, March 6^th, 1857. We meet George and his family, his wife Elizabeth, their infant daughter Baby Caroline, and the stratified world of slavery in which they live. Thomas Howard Calloway (Marsa Thom), is their White owner who owns the East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad, the South’s only copper mines, and the local bank. He is one of Cleveland’s prominent town leaders.

Read More Here

The Last Dahomey Warrior
By Dr. Amy Holda Gueye

The Last Dahomey Warrior by Dr. Amy Holda Gueye is the gripping story of a group of fearless and feared female soldiers of the Dahomey kingdom—and the young girl who withstands grave peril to stand among them.

At age 11, Nanissa becomes the youngest candidate ever chosen to be one of the legendary Dahomey Akodgjie, an all-female elite class of warriors who protect their king and the Kingdom of Dahomey (now Benin).

Left in the sacred forest with no weapons or food, Nanissa must survive ten days to earn her place on the path to becoming a Dahomey warrior. She encounters dangers during her test, but by listening to the voice of her mother she not only survives but is endowed by the spirit of the Leopard, which serves her well in battles to come.

Nanissa learns to listen to more than just the teachings of her mother. The Queen Mother, Ahosi, who trains the Akodgjie warriors also serves as mentor to the young warrior. “Observe carefully, learn quickly, listen more, speak less…If you can learn what one does not say, memorize what one never teaches, and trust your gut, the voice right here in your chest… then you will make an excellent warrior.”

Before Nanissa faces her first battle as a young woman, the Chief of a smaller tribe comes to the Palace with word that the French are coming—prepared for battle with armor and rifles.

Read More Here

These works demonstrate how the best historical fiction combines meticulous research with compelling storytelling to transport readers across time.

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See the Chanticleer Difference for Yourself!

We’re excited about all the exceptional historical fiction we receive every year for both the CIBAs and for our Editorial Reviews. The Chanticleer International Book Awards offers an incredible $30,000 in cash, prizes, and promotion across all divisions!

The Goethe Awards recognize the extraordinary research and storytelling skill required to bring recent history to authentic life. Whether you’ve spent years researching Victorian social customs, Georgian political movements, or early 20th-century cultural changes, these awards celebrate both your historical scholarship and narrative artistry.

Your Historical Vision Awaits Recognition

Great late historical fiction doesn’t just recreate the past—it helps us understand how we became who we are today. Whether your story explores the drawing rooms of Regency England, the immigrant experience in turn-of-the-century America, or the social transformations of the early 1900s, the Goethe Awards celebrate the authors who make history feel immediate and alive.

Bring your historical vision to life—the deadline is August 31, 2025!

Submit to the Goethe Awards today and help us celebrate the artistry of late historical fiction!