Best Indie Book Award® Names the Best Independent Books of 2025
(PRUnderground) November 21st, 2025
One hundred and thirteen indie authors, illustrators, and book cover designers from around the globe were named as winners of the 2025 Best Indie Book Award® (Otherwise known as BIBA®). This year, BIBA® honored authors from the USA, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Israel, Spain, the Netherlands, the UAE, and Cyprus. These incredible books are currently showcased on the BIBA® website.
This year’s $2,000 BIBA® Book of the Year grand prize went to author Qusay Salih Hussein Al-Mamari and Monica Sakura Urso for their book Can You Open My Eyes? The book is not only a story of survival, but a story of vision, purpose, and possibility.
Qusay’s life changed forever on August 3, 2006, when a car bomb in Iraq blinded him and nearly took his life, setting him on a journey from Iraq to Jordan and the United States. Through the dedication of doctors, the serendipity of fate, and his unshakable faith, he survived and began a new chapter, one that, in many ways, “has been richer and more fulfilling than the life I once knew,” he said.
In Can You Open My Eyes?, Qusay Hussein takes us far beyond the moment that changed his life. Through deeply personal reflections, candid humor, and powerful storytelling, he offers readers an intimate glimpse into what it means to rebuild one’s identity from the inside out. From learning English by sound and memory, to navigating college as a blind student, to finding belonging in unfamiliar places, Qusay recounts the everyday moments that became milestones. As he shares his journey, we are left with many inspiring words of wisdom from him, like, “The obstacles we face are not meant to break us, but to shape us into stronger, more compassionate individuals.”
The $500 Children’s Book Of The Year Award for 2025 went to Anngri Arts for Mischievous Mr. Battons.
2025 marked the 13th year of the International BIBA® contest, which consists of a literary award, an illustration award, and a book cover design award.
“Authors participating in the Best Indie Book Award® competitions recognize the importance of distinguishing themselves in a highly competitive market. Given that hundreds of millions of self-published books are sold annually, authors can easily be overlooked. Receiving a BIBA® significantly enhances an author’s visibility and credibility.”
Some of the Noteworthy 2025 BIBA® Winners Include:
Can You Open My Eyes?
Qusay Salih Hussein Al-Mamari and Monica Sakura Urso
Mischievous Mr. Battons
Anngri Arts
The Silver Squad, Rebels With Wrinkles
Marty Essen
Comfort Sequels: The Psychology of Movie Sequels from the 80s and 90s
Emily Marinelli
I Wanted To Be A Bluesman
David Joseph
Bible Stories That Scared The Hell Out Of Me
Jay W. Foreman
The Naked Sailor
Norman Coutts
The Psychology of Technology
Hal F. Gottfried
Being A Good Dog in the Human’s World
Vivian Zottola Msc
For the full list of the winning books, visit the Best Indie Book Award® website: BestIndieBookAward.com
Submissions are now open for the 2026 Best Indie Book Award® Literary contest, Illustration contest, and Book Cover Design contest. Entries are accepted online at BestIndieBookAward.com/submit/
About Best Indie Book Award
The annual Best Indie Book Award® (or BIBA®) is an international literary award contest recognizing independent authors. BIBA® is a legitimate writing competition. Entrants compete against other book entries. Entries are limited to independently (indie) published books, including those from small presses, e-book publishers, and self-published authors. Submissions are accepted from around the globe, but the books must be written in English.
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