SCOTTSDALE, AZ, UNITED STATES, January 26, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The 2026 Independent Press Award recognized “Hope on the Border” by Gil Gillenwater in the category of Book Interior Design Nonfiction 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.
“Hope on the Border” by Gil Gillenwater
You think you know the border. You’re about to learn the truth.
The U.S.–México border is more than a line on a map. It’s a place of hardship and resilience, inequity and generosity, division and connection. In “Hope on the Border,” Gil Gillenwater draws on nearly four decades of firsthand experience to bring readers face-to-face with the realities of the world’s most dangerous migrant corridor—and the hope that still thrives there.
Through vivid storytelling and dramatic photography, Gillenwater reveals the heartache and humanity that define life on both sides of the border. His unflinching accounts expose the shared responsibilities of two nations, while his insights point to a deeper truth: Mexico’s material poverty and America’s spiritual poverty are intertwined.
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 Brad Feld, Judith Briles, Tony Jeton Selimi, Michael Pronko, Jack Fritscher, PhD, Nate Regier, PhD, Lawrence Kane & Kris Wilder, Greg Broadmore, Gil Gillenwater 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.”
For more information please visit independentpressaward.com; and to see this year’s list of IPA Winners and Distinguished Favorites, please visit the website pages: 2026 WINNERS: https://www.independentpressaward.com/2026-winners
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gil Gillenwater is the founder and president of the award-winning Rancho Feliz Charitable Foundation, which has reimagined border philanthropy since 1987. Unlike the sacrifice expounded by traditional charities, Gillenwater appeals to the evolutionary greed of the human condition. He refers to this as “enlightened self-interest.” This maverick approach has enticed tens of thousands of volunteers to improve their own lives by traveling to the border and feeding their souls through serving others. According to Gillenwater, service isn’t sacrifice – it’s salvation.
For four decades, he has worked hands-on along the U.S.–Mexico border, building programs that empower both volunteers and communities through reciprocal giving and shared dignity.
He is a recipient of the Hon Kachina Award, Arizona’s highest honor for volunteerism, as well as the National Association of Realtors annual “Good Neighbor Award,” likewise honoring volunteerism. In 2021, he became the first non-Mexican to receive Sonora’s Premio a la Filantropía, as the individual philanthropic person of the year, recognizing his cross-border philanthropic work.
In 2009, Gillenwater partnered with the nonprofit Free the Slaves to launch the Free a Village program—an ambitious initiative that helps entire villages in India, often up to 20 families, transition from slavery to freedom within three years. The program’s community-wide approach to liberation and empowerment caught global attention and was selected by former President Bill Clinton as a featured initiative at his Clinton Global Initiative, a gathering of the world’s leading thinkers, philanthropists and changemakers.
In 1982, Gil and his brother Troy hiked 810 miles across the state of Arizona from México to Utah. Their route was to become the popular Arizona National Scenic Trail, traveled today by thousands. In 2026, they were acknowledged in a documentary film titled “Trailblazers” for pioneering this cross-state trail. In the February 2026 issue, Arizona Highways magazine ran a feature article about the Gillenwaters’ original trek that reached readers across the globe.
A lifelong student of Eastern philosophy and meditation, Gillenwater is a black belt in Kenpo Karate and a certified hot yoga instructor. An outdoorsman at heart, he has had countless wilderness adventures around the world and has visited over 75 countries.
In 1994, he and his brother Troy were among the first Westerners granted access by the Communist Chinese into Tibet’s forbidden “Himalayan Hidden Lands.” His six expeditions and time spent studying with remote Tibetan lamas and mystics inspired a philosophy of enlightened self-interest that now guides his approach to social change with Rancho Feliz.
ABOUT THE AWARD
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.
Book Available on Amazon – https://a.co/d/90TTM3F
CONTACT US:
PR By The Book – https://prbythebook.com/experts/gil-gillenwater/
Hope On The Border Page – https://ranchofeliz.com/hope-on-the-border/
CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
Facebook: @gil.gillenwater.5 (https://www.facebook.com/gil.gillenwater.5)
Facebook: @HopeOnTheBorder (https://www.facebook.com/HopeOnTheBorder)
Instagram: @gillenwater (https://www.instagram.com/gillenwater/)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hopeontheborder/
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Independent Press Award
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