Devon Spier Receives International Recognition Through the NYC Big Book Award®!

KITCHENER, ONTARIO, CANADA, September 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The NYC Big Book Award recognized Heart Map and the Song of Our Ancestors by Devon Spier in the category of Judaism as a Distinguished Favorite.

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.

Heart Map and the Song of Our Ancestors is a bestselling collection of poetry and prose. Specifically,

* For the "Reluctant and the Yearning": Spier specifically wrote the book for people who struggle with traditional religious frameworks, face barriers within established institutions, or feel disconnected from typical communal life. It offers a gentle, validating message that where a person is right now—tattoos, doubts, grief, and all—is authentic and meaningful.

* Contemporary Piyyutim: The work introduces a new genre of modern piyyutim (traditional Jewish liturgical poems). Spier blends ancient Torah narratives and ancestral figures (such as Sarah, Miriam, Hagar, and Hannah) with modern vulnerabilities, personal raw experiences, and social commentary.

* Blending Visual Art and Poetry: Enhanced by Kandace Boos' illustrations, the book mixes portraiture and symbolic imagery alongside the poetry. It visually emphasizes how diverse Jews live, creating an artistic experience meant to be sat with and reflected upon rather than read quickly.

* Spiritual Companion & Liturgy: Readers and spiritual leaders frequently use the book both for private meditation and as supplemental prayer material for study groups, contemporary services, and rituals.

NYC Big Book Award received book submissions worldwide. Attorneys, Doctors, Entrepreneurs, Film & Television writers, Historians, and Journalists, from well established authors to first time indie authors as well as small and large presses participated.

Entries this year were received from the United States as well as countries such as Australia, Canada, China, Dubai, England, Estonia, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, New Zealand, Scotland, Singapore, South Korea United, Sweden, Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Cities represented among the entries were Auckland, Baltimore, Dallas, Frankfurt, Hollywood, Johannesburg, Manhattan Beach, New Orleans, NYC, Philadelphia, Sydney, and West Palm Beach.

Publishers included Beacon Press, Berrett-Koehler, Casemate, Edinburgh University Press, Forbes Books, Kiplinger Books, NYU Press, Palgrave Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Rizzoli, Routledge, The White House Historical Association, University of California Press, University of Nebraska Press, Weaving Influence Press, and Wiley.

We have an amazing list of authors from around the globe participating this year, said awards sponsor Gabby Olczak. I’m so excited to share these books with a worldwide readership!

To view the list of NYC Big Book winners and distinguished favorites, please visit: https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/

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About the Author
Devon Spier is a Canadian author and poet and the Founder and Design Theologian of Ir-Reverence World Spirituality Fashion House and JEW-ish Designs Press and Consulting, an acclaimed independent press. Spier's work frequently bridges traditional Jewish wisdom with contemporary social justice, disability and public health advocacy, and creative expression.

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NYC Big Book Award, https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/, is announced every fall. NYC Big Book Award is open to all authors, publishers, and illustrators, and includes submissions from the big five publishers. Join us for the Independent Press Award, deadlines every December 15th, is open to independent authors and publishers, visit: https://www.independentpressaward.com/winners

And, join us for the Awards Dinner on April 10th, https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/awardsdinner, held at the BookCAMP event, April 9-10, 2027, https://www.ipabookcamp.com, where recipients from both programs will walk on stage to receive their awards.
NYC Big Book Award, https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/, is announced every fall. NYC Big Book Award is open to all authors, publishers, and illustrators, and includes submissions from the big five publishers. Join us for the Awards Dinner on April 10th, https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/awardsdinner, held at the BookCAMP event, April 9-10, 2027, https://www.ipabookcamp.com, where recipients from both programs will walk on stage to receive their awards.

Gabby Olczak
NYC Big Book Award
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