NEW YORK _ The story of two young friends who set out on an odyssey to define the artistic life has been awarded the grand prize for the 2021 New York Book Festival, which honors books worthy of further attention from the world’s publishing capital.

Author Daniel V. Meier Jr.’s No Birds Sing Here (BQB Publishing) tells the story of two young pseudo-intellectuals, Beckman and Malany, who set out on an odyssey to define the artistic life, and in doing so, unleash a barrage of humorous, unintended consequences. No Birds Sing Here is a multi-layered novel about a Post-Modernist America in which characters are struggling to survive in an increasingly chaotic world.

Beckman and Malany's journey reflects the allegorical evolution of humanity from its primal state. The world these protagonists live in is a world without love. Do they know it? Not yet. And they won't until they figure out why no birds sing here.

Other winners in the competition:

GENERAL NON-FICTION

WINNER: The Hanford Plaintiffs – Trisha Pritikin

RUNNER-UP: Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz – Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Buried but Never Forgotten – Elisa Chastaine
• Char’s Gift – Steve Harryman
• The Ultimate Guide to Planning – Mike Bernstein
• Getting Out - Greg Siofer
• Never Be Poor Again – Matthew Morales
• Kings, Conquerors, Psychopaths – Joseph N. Abraham, MD
• From Student to Warrior: A Military History of the… - Wilford Kale
• Simple Activities for Toddlers – Lisa Forsythe
• Sabrina’s Book – Sabrina Runyon
• A Constitution for a Democracy - Rohit (Roy) Kajaria
• More Fish Faces Book One – Tam Warner Minton
• More Fish Faces Book Two – Tam Warner Minton
• Rental Secrets – Justin Pogue
• Out of Rushmore’s Shadow – Lou Del Bianco
• Conscious Love - Kashonia Carnegie PhD
• The Angle of Flickering Light – Gina Troisi
• Butterfly Awakens – Meg Nocero
• This Moment: Bold Moments from…. – Edited by Keren Taylor
• Lo que nadie me dijo sobre – Isabel de Navasqόιs
• The Language Theater - Maria Beatty
• Boys Secrets and Men’s Loves – David A.J. Richards
• Mindful Framing – Oscar Seguaro
• An Ungrown Mind – Sarah Laney
• In Search of Somatic Therapy – Setsuko Tsuchiya
• Love Yourself to Life – Dr. Monica Debro
• Secret Life of a Juror – Voir Dire – Paul Sanders
• Strong Women, Fed-Up Men, Defeated Sons… - Mark Momplaisir
• She Got Up – Janice Freeman

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

WINNER: Ella Sue and the Burlap Bag – Robin Taylor Chariello

RUNNER-UP: I Would Love You Even If You Burned the Christmas Turkey – Bucleigh Newton Kernolde

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• The Girl with the Magical Curls – Evita Giron
• Mom’s Voice – Jason O. Bradley
• Brody the Lion: I Can Do It, Yes I Can! – Dr. Kristin Wegner
• Black Bear Goes To Washington – Denise Lawson
• Kristy, Mikey and Harley D the Cat – Holly Smith & Krista Taylor
• Completely Me - Justine Green
• Mommy’s Hot Pink Heels – Missy Brickman
• The First Birthday Party Ever! – Keith Johnson
• Giraffes Don’t Talk To Ants – Lauren M. Poteat
• The Day The Colours Went Away – Christopher Quirk
• Glitter the Unicorn Goes.. – Callie Chapman
• How the Dog Saved the Squirrel from the Hawk – D.L. Luke
• Pong and the Birthday Journey – Linda Sowa Young Cornish
• Belinda and the “Boring” Ballet Class – Dani Tucci-Juraga
• The Gifts of Ping Mei – Linda Sowa Young Cornish
• Bobby’s Story – Linda Sowa Young Cornish
• Kindergarten Kapers – Sabrina Runyon
• The Christmas Tale: A Fishy Feast – Diana Pishner Walker
• If I Were A Pony – Leonard Eckhaus
• Let’s Talk! A Story of Autism….- Lisa Jackovsky
• Becky’s Bonnet – Linda Sowa Young Cornish
• Little Giants: 10 Hispanic Women… - Raynelda A. Calderon
• Tricky Times – Laura Irelan
• The Burping Pumpkin – Steph Alexis
• Welcome to Chuckle Giggle Nu – Keith Johnson
• Bobby the Bear and his Missing Dinner – Ryan O’Connor
• Patty Panda Gets a Potty – Vicky Wu
• Allman Town Changed with Sam’s Mother’s Cake – Ashia Foster
• Shadow and Friends Costume Party – S. Jackson, M. Schmidt
• Simple Activities for Toddlers – Lisa Forsythe
• The Letter Critters Talent Show – Chase Taylor
• El’s Mirror - Ellison and Bavu Blakes
• Ting Ting The Girl Who Saved China – Ryan O’Connor
• Walter Finds a Home – Cat Smith with Brad and Kelly Blake
• Earth Day Park’s Swans – V.A. Boeholt/Nate Jensen
• The Twin Dolphin’s Kind Rescue – V.A. Boeholt/Nate Jensen
• The Holy Kid and Bud Book – Linda Sowa Young Cornish
• Dirty Monkeys Smell Bad – G. Katz Chronicle

GENERAL FICTION

WINNER: No Birds Sing Here – Daniel V. Meier, Jr.

RUNNER-UP: The Bookseller’s Daughter – Steve Burt

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• High Desert High – Steven Schindler
• Never Play with Death – Hans Trujillo
• A Lost Woman – Ann Brooks
• Truth is in the House – Michael J. Coffino
• The Red Thread – Rebekah Pace and Tracy Lawson
• Kevin on Earth – Pres Maxon
• Lucky – Sara Condrey
• When Angels Die - James Sniechowski
• Bloodroot - Daniel V. Meier, Jr
• The Wondrous Apothecary – Mary E. Martin
• Heaven and Other Zip Codes – Mathieu Cailler
• Rosa – Barbara de la Cuesta
• Dark Times – Michael Gerhartz
• Never Too Soon – Tamika Christy
• Faster – Alex Schuler
• The Field of Wrongdoing – Lili St. Germain
• Scavenger Hunt – Dani Lamia
• A Portable Chaos – E.M. Schorb
• DHARMA, A Rekha Rao Mystery – Vee Kumari
• Last Casualty – Lee W. Daly
• The Man Who Would Be King – Addison J. Chappel
• Into Africa – Kerry McDonald
• The Wingless Angel – Fabrice Wilfong
• Rhodes – Never Forgotten – M.M. Gornell
• Operation Olive Tree – Jemil Metti
• The Paloma Crossing – Randall Reneau
• Apollo’s Other Daughter – Suzanne Jenkins
• Spirits of the Ice Forest – Max Davine
• Missing – Don Helin
• Lusitania Lost – Leonard Carpenter
• Amid Rage – Joel Burcat
• White Skies Black Mingo – Kevin D. Miller
• Revenge of the Beast – M. Ward Leon
• Whisperwood – Van Temple
• Watkins Glen – Eleanor Lerman
• Before Pittsburgh – Kasie Whitener
• Hidden Enemies – M.A. Florence
• Trading Secrets – Rachael Eckles
• The Wasteland – Harper Jameson
• Moonlight Rocks – Yurie Kiri
• The Patched Sea - Loodie
• Games We Played – Shawne Steiger
• House of Bastiion – K.L. Kolarich
• CSCO: First Station - D. A. Pendleton
• Black Child to Black Woman - Cheryl Denise Bannerman
• South of Main Street – Robert Gately
• Genesis The Beginning – Tarrone M. Fearo

UNPUBLISHED

WINNER: 12 Relatos Impuros – Hans Trujillo

RUNNER-UP: Lay Off or Lie Dead! - Joseph Idigo

COMPILATIONS/ANTHOLOGIES

WINNER: Our Moment of Choice - Robert Atkinson, Kurt Johnson, et. Al

RUNNER-UP: A New Way to Hope – William Stephenson

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• The Black Trans Prayer Book - Dane Edidi and J Mase III
• Voices from the Pandemic – Don Helin
• You Sound Amazing – Jeffrey Weber

WILD CARD

WINNER: Blind Pony: As True a Story As I Can Tell – Samantha Hart

RUNNER-UP: That Darn Cat – Janos Toldy

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• The Wingless Angel – Fabrice Wilfong
• Cinderella – A Love Story – Gina LoBiondo
• The Edge of Madness – Raymond Gaynor
• Sketches of Life – A. Gavazzoni
• Digest: Ten Short Stories – Evan Witmer
• Pandemic Side Effects – Jeffrey Weber
• Corrupted.- Jared Dixon
• Secret Life of a Juror – Voir Dire – Paul Sanders
• Postcards Home 2: Adventures Begin with the First Step – WD Mast
• House of Bastiion – K.L. Kolarich
• Christ Over Covid-19 - Ngozi Iwuoha

SPIRITUAL/RELIGIOUS

WINNER: The Menu – Steven Manchester

RUNNER-UP: The Art of Forgiveness – Carolyn CJ Jones

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• The Girl Who Could Read Hearts – Sherry Maysonave
• Belonging: One Catholic’s Journey – Frank J. Butler
• The Birth of a Soul – Johanna Kern
• Stepping Stones – Marilea C. Rabasa
• Opening the Gates of the Heart – Carolyn CJ Jones
• To Be Enlightened – Alan J. Steinberg
• Visions of Time – Lori B. Hines
• Good, Butter, Best; From Dream to Reality – Donny Willis
• The YOU Beyond You – Ramzi Naijar
• Through Fire and Rain – Joseph and Mary Anselmo
• When Angels Fly - S. Jackson, A. Raymond, M. Schmidt
• The Evangelical’s Daughter - Debra Roberts Torres-Reyes

BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR

WINNER: Gilligan’s Dreams - Dreama Denver

RUNNER-UP: Rendered Safe: Tales of an NYPD Bomb Tech – Jeff Ingber
HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Corners Untouched by Madness – N. Daniel
• Roots & Branches: A Family Saga – Michael M. Meguid MD
• My Year in Vaudeville – Rory Lance
• No Man’s Compass – SD Hines
• As Living Stones: My Five Years in Saudi Arabia – Marjory Henderson
• Plotting to Stop The British Slave Trade – Jane Reeve
• Put Off My Sackcloth: Essays – Annie Dawid
• Through Fire and Rain – Joseph and Mary Anselmo
• The Music – Herbert and Stephanie Ausbel
• 100 Days in Vietnam – Matthew Tallon
• Splat – Adele Irving
• My Body, My Soul – Vandee Crane
• The Journey/The Path/The Way I See It – LaDonna Marie

SCIENCE FICTION

WINNER: Pivot – L.C. Barlow

RUNNER-UP: Counterfeit Lover – J.C. Farmer

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Perish – L.C. Barlow
• Forgive Us – E.T. Gunnarson
• Condition Black - Stu Jones and Gareth Worthington
• The Vanishing – Arjay Lewis
• Callisto 2.0 - A novel of the future – Susan English
• Tokyo Games – Yurie Kiri
• Code Word Access - Alex Schuler and Rolf Yngve
• Stalked – Sara Condrey
• The Adventures of Wandala – Daniel Boyd
• The Green Cathedral – Kerry McDonald
• The Cadmium Command – JGR Penton
• Ivory!! An Annotated Account…. – Reid Scott
• 666 Gable Way – Dani Lamia

COOKBOOKS

WINNER: One Loaf at a Time/One Bowl at a Time – CJ Katz

RUNNER-UP: Lean & Luscious Kid’s Edition – Millie Snyder

PHOTOGRAPHY/ART

WINNER: The Undersea Art of Indonesia – Charles Rawlings, Lobbu, Leah Perez

RUNNER-UP: The National Parks: A Century of Grace – Karla Morton and Alan Birkelbach

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Battle Carried – Michael Bortner
• The Strait and Narrow – Jane Tuckerman
• Dancing, and Other Problems – Norville Parchment

ROMANCE

WINNER: When the Wind Chimes – Mary Ting

RUNNER-UP: No Other Name – Robert Beatty

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Midnight Temptation – Shari Nichols
• Falling for the Manny – Kayla Nicole
• What’s Left of Me - Kristen Granata
• Inside the Grey – Bobbi Groover

YOUNG ADULT

WINNER: Blood & Silver – Vali Benson

RUNNER-UP: Someone in the Walls – Teymour Shahabi

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Charley’s Horse – Judith Shaw
• Facing Off – Tanya Ross
• New England Seaside, Roadside, Graveside, Darkside – Steve Burt
• How to Become a Better Writer - Anishka Verna
• Secret Life of a Juror – Voir Dire – Paul Sanders
• Melby – Melinda Chambers
• Never Say Never – Justine Manzo
• Last Letters to Gettysburg – Jan Thornton Jones
• Escapade - Margery Neely
• Nathan’s Investigation – G. Katz Chronicle
• Tyrone Evans Clark's Grapefruit… - Tyrone Evans Clark
• House of Bastiion – K.L. Kolarich
• A Thief in Pollinator Paradise – G. Katz Chronicle

HOW-TO

WINNER: Can You Get Our Attention? – Kraig Kann

RUNNER-UP: Never Be Poor Again – Matthew Morales

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Rental Secrets – Justin Pogue
• How To Live From Your Heart - Nanette V. Hucknall
• Turn Words into Wealth – Aurora Winter
• The Ultimate Human Secrets – Ramzi Naijar
• A Turbulent Mind – Swetha Amit
• It's About You Too: How to Manage...- Lori B. Rassas

BUSINESS

WINNER: Ascend Your Startup – Helen Yu

RUNNER-UP: Silent Resistance - Paul Boudreau and Caitlyn Schmidt

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Things I Heard My Professor Say – Curtis L. Odom, Ed.D
• Pathway to Prosperity – Mark Lazar
• Book Title Generator – Scott Lorenz
• Never Be Poor Again – Matthew Morales
• Rental Secrets – Justin Pogue
• Rise of the Digital World – RS Amblee
• It's About You Too - Lori B. Rassas

POETRY

WINNER: En Aras del Tiempo – Issamary Simmons

RUNNER-UP: The National Parks: A Century of Grace – Karla Morton

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Much – Joel Peckham
• Bent: 31 Poems – T.A. Price
• The Miracle Machine – Matthew Pennock
• Old State Road - Jason Gerrish
• Excursions of the Mind 2: Stories Take Flight – Joanne Kenzy
• One Heart: Many Breaks – Sandeep Kumar Mishra
• Where Wild Thoughts Grow – Tanya M. Hazelwoo