09/01/2026
John and Mary Frances Patton Peace & War Center is now seeking nominations for the 2027 William E. Colby Military Writers' Award.!
The Colby Award recognizes a first book-length work of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry that has made a major contribution to the understanding of military history, intelligence operations, or international affairs.
Books are nominated by publishers, agents, or promoters, and cannot be self-nominated. All nominated books are considered in a two-step review process. First-round award reviewers carefully consider all nominated eligible books. Then, the five top-scoring titles are reviewed by the Colby Award Selection Committee, which consists of five former Colby winners and a committee chair.
Books are scored on their depth of research, significance of the work, subject matter clarity, and writing quality. The Colby Award review process considers the book and its subject on its own merits, absent the author's biographical context.
The Colby Award recognizes a first book-length work of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry that has made a major contribution to the understanding of military history, intelligence operations, or international affairs.
