Asayi An Autistic Teen’s Journey to Topple a Shogun in Medieval Japan by Canyon Lake, CA resident Sharon Curcio has been named by the Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group as one of the best indie books of 2025.
Sharon Curcio’s book is a finalist of the Pre-1900s Historical Fiction category in the 2025 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the world’s largest book awards program for independent publishers and self-published authors. The winners and finalists will be honored June 27th at a gala event at The Notary Hotel in Philadelphia, PA.
Conference Organizers of this year’s gala hope to livestream the awards presentation on Facebook, commencing at approximately 5:00 pm EST at https://www.facebook.com/NextGenerationIndieBookAwards. The Next Generation Indie Book Awards are judged by leaders in the indie publishing industry, many of whom have had long careers at major publishing houses. Drawing on their deep experience and love of great storytelling, they recognize books that deserve a wider audience.
In an article at CNN.com titled If it’s cool, creative, and different, it’s indie, journalist Catherine Andrews wrote: “The term ‘indie’ traditionally refers to independent art – music, film, literature or anything that fits under the broad banner of culture – created outside of the mainstream and without corporate financing.”
Independent book publishing companies include small presses, larger independent publishers, university presses, e-book publishers, and self-published authors.
According to Catherine Goulet, Founder and Co-Chair of the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, “The indies have to work much harder to get their best books into readers’ hands.”
“Authors and publishers who compete in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards are serious about promoting their books,” adds Goulet. “They aim to stand out from the crowd of millions of books in print.”
