J.L Calder takes the category of Political Thriller as the winner in the 2026 INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD®!
LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, January 22, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The 2026 Independent Press Award recognized “DoubleHelix: Book One in The Helix Project” by J.L Calder in the category of Political Thriller as the winner.
The competition is judged by experts from different aspects of the book industry, including publishers, writers, editors, designers, booksellers, librarians and professional copywriters. Winners and distinguished favorites are based on overall excellence.
J.L. Calder’s “DoubleHelix” is a taut, atmospheric noir-inspired thriller that intertwines the quest for literary inspiration with an unsettling political conspiracy. Set against the backdrop of mid-1990s Washington, D.C., and reaching into the shadows of international intrigue, this first book in The Helix Project is a character-driven story that grips the reader.
Read the full review here: https://www.printedwordreviews.com/bookreviews/9798993002309
In 2026, the INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD saw a large participation from well established authors and publishers across the globe, including those residing in Australia, Canada, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States. Authors such as J.L. Calder, Brad Feld, Judith Briles, Tony Jeton Selimi, Michael Pronko, Jack Fritscher, PhD, Nate Regier, PhD, Lawrence Kane & Kris Wilder, Greg Broadmore and Miriam Udel were among the winners list chosen from thousands of entries.
Publishing houses included were Forbes Books, Friesen Press, Historium Press, Johns Hopkins University Press, Mad Cave Studios, Northwestern University Press, Princeton University Press, She Writes Press, The History Press, and University of California Press.
“The 2026 INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD recipients reflect the incredible momentum within the independent sector,” stated Gabrielle Olczak, INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD President and Award Sponsor. “Independent voices are no longer just an alternative; they are leading the way in literary innovation. By highlighting these winners, we are celebrating a global community that refuses to be sidelined and continues to set new benchmarks for excellence.”
To view this year’s list of IPA Winners, please visit: https://www.independentpressaward.com/2026-winners
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
J.L. Calder is the author of The Helix Project series and founder of Dwyer Street Press. With a background in film production and a lifelong fascination with espionage, Calder crafts cinematic, character-driven thrillers that blur the lines between truth, betrayal, and human experience.
ABOUT THE AWARD PROGRAM
The Independent Press Award (IPA) is a prestigious annual book awards program specifically designed to honor excellence in the independent publishing community. It is open to self-published authors, small presses, and university presses worldwide. The Independent Press Award is announced every spring and is open to independent authors and publishers.
The fall book competition, NYC Big Book Award, https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/ permits all authors and publishers, including the big five publishers, to submit their books for competition.
Join us at the Awards Dinner & Ceremony on April 25th to celebrate the recipients of both programs as they receive their awards on stage. The ceremony is part of the BookCAMP event, a publishing industry conference held in the New York metro area, April 24-26, 2026, https://www.independentpressaward.com/ipabookcamp.
Gabby Olczak
Independent Press Award
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