Farrah Rochon to receive 27th Louisiana Writer Award

BATON ROUGE, La. – Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser and the Louisiana Center for the Book in the State Library of Louisiana proudly announce Farrah Rochon as the recipient of the 27th Louisiana Writer Award. The Center gives the award annually to recognize outstanding contributions to Louisiana’s literary and intellectual life exemplified by a contemporary Louisiana writer’s body of work.

Rochon is the first romance writer to receive the honor. A native of Edgard, Louisiana, she officially began her writing career in between classes at Xavier University of Louisiana. Now a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, some of Farrah's 40+ books, including her popular Boyfriend Project series, have been seen in Cosmopolitan, O: The Oprah Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, and more.

“Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that those stories I used to spin in my head would lead to me receiving such a prestigious honor,” said Rochon about receiving the award. “Louisiana has a rich history of amazing writers, and it is beyond humbling to be recognized as one of them.”

"Louisiana has always been a place where powerful stories take root, and Farrah Rochon carries that tradition forward with every book she writes,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “Her work has reached readers across the country and shown them the warmth, resilience, and spirit that define our state. I'm proud to congratulate her as the 2026 Louisiana Writer Award winner and to celebrate a body of work that enriches Louisiana's literary legacy."

Throughout her grade school and high school years, Rochon nourished her love of reading with frequent trips to the library, often writing stories of her own when she could not find anything that caught her interest. As an undergraduate at Xavier University, she realized writing could be something other than just a hobby. She honed her storytelling skills in graduate school at Southeastern Louisiana University, writing her novel longhand between classes as she worked toward her master’s degree in psychology.

Rochon found her footing in contemporary romance and solidified herself as one to watch in the genre. She was named Shades of Romance Magazine’s (SORMAG) Best New Author of 2007 and was nominated for an Emma Award for best debut author the same year. Her debut novel, Deliver Me, garnered rave reviews, earning her several SORMAG Readers’ Choice Awards. She was a two-time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s vaunted RITA Award and was a Romantic Times Book Reviews Reviewer’s Choice Award nominee. In 2015, she won the Emma Award for Author of the Year. Her work has gone on to earn numerous accolades in the romance industry, and her Boyfriend Project trilogy has been optioned for film by Muse Entertainment.

Rochon served on the national board of directors of Romance Writers of America for five years and has given back to local writing groups across south Louisiana by delivering workshops, judging contests, and mentoring up-and-coming writers.

“There is nothing like my home state, and I love showcasing it through my work,” said Rochon. “Whenever I write a book set in New Orleans, the city becomes its own character. But I also like branching outside of the city. There are so many different areas in this state that deserve their time in the limelight. Nothing makes me happier than hearing someone say that they took a day trip to the bayou after reading about it in one of my books.”

The Louisiana Writer Award will be presented during the annual ceremony at the Louisiana Book Festival on Saturday, October 31, in Baton Rouge. Visit the Louisiana Writer Award webpage for more information about Rochon and her work.

Learn more about the 22nd Louisiana Book Festival at LouisianaBookFestival.org as the year progresses, and follow event news on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

The Louisiana Center for the Book was established in the State Library of Louisiana in 1994 to promote interest in reading, books, literacy, and libraries, and to celebrate Louisiana`s rich literary heritage. It is the state affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book.

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