The Ithaca Award
Named for the destination Odysseus fought years to reach against impossible odds. Ithaca was always there. He just had to survive long enough to reach it. Getting a first book into the world without publisher support is its own Odyssey. This award exists for the author who made it anyway.
The Ithaca Award is presented annually to the best indie debut thriller of the year.
Writing a first thriller is hard. Publishing it independently is harder. Getting it into the hands of readers without a marketing budget is harder still. This award sees that work.
Presented at the Homer Awards gala ceremony, John & George Hotel, Tolo, Argolida, October 22, 2027.
Scoring criteria
· Narrative tension: Does it compel you to keep reading?
· Originality: Does it do something the genre hasn’t seen before?
· Character: Do you believe in the people on the page?
· Reader impact: Will you think about this book a month from now?
Eligibility
Publication
Must be published in English between
October 1, 2025, and October 1, 2026
Indie definition
The author’s first published thriller novel. Authors with previously published books in other genres may qualify — contact us if unsure.
Who nominates
Any Thriller Book Retreat member. Post a verified Amazon review of at least 50 words — that review is your nomination.
How it works
Any Thriller Book Retreat member posts a verified Amazon review of at least 50 words for any qualifying indie thriller. That review is the nomination. No forms. No fees. No permission from the author needed.
Our team checks all nominated titles against eligibility rules. Correctly categorized, published in English within the eligibility window, and no major publisher deal.
Thriller Book Retreat members vote on all eligible nominated titles. The 10 titles with the most votes become the longlist. Longlisted indie authors are contacted personally — many will not know they were nominated.
The elected Reader Voice juror and the Community & Genre Voice read the longlist of 10 and score against four criteria. Results sealed immediately.
The Ithaca Award is presented live at the Homer Awards gala ceremony, John & George Hotel, Tolo, Argolida, October 22, 2027.
Key dates
Submissions open October 1, 2026
Submissions close December 31, 2026
Longlist announced February 15, 2027
Shortlist announced
May 1, 2027
Gala ceremony October 22, 2027
About Ithaca
Ithaca is a small island in the Ionian Sea. Rocky, steep, not especially fertile. Not the most beautiful island in Greece. Not the richest. By any practical measure, not worth ten years of war and another ten years of wandering through monsters, gods, and a world determined to stop you from getting home.
Odysseus chose it anyway. Not because it was the best place. Because it was his.
The indie debut thriller author knows something about that. The first book is never the easiest path. It would be simpler to wait — for an agent, for a deal, for permission from an industry that moves slowly and lets very few people through the door. Writing it anyway. Publishing it anyway. Finding readers anyway. That is its own Odyssey. And finishing it — getting it into the world — is its own Ithaca.
“When you set out on the voyage to Ithaca,
pray that your journey may be long,
full of adventures, full of knowledge.”
The artwork
Giuseppe Bottani (1717–1784)
Athena Appearing to Odysseus to Reveal the Island of Ithaca
Oil on canvas · Public domain
Athena reveals Ithaca to Odysseus — the destination he has spent ten years trying to reach. He is standing on the shore, not yet knowing where he is. She shows him home.
The Homer Awards use public-domain classical paintings from the Greek tradition to represent each award.
Join the community
The Ithaca Award is nominated by two communities — Solo Travel to Greece and Thriller Book Retreat. Join either community to nominate your favorite romance set in Greece.