AWBA Q+A with Melissa Huber

Meet a member of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards team!

Melissa Huber has worked at the Cleveland Foundation since 2019. She has earned a BA in Theatre from Denison University, a MA in Arts Management & Policy from Birkbeck – University of London, and the CSEP (Certified Special Events Professional) credential.

Before coming to the foundation, she held roles in marketing and fundraising at Cleveland Public Theatre, American Conservatory Theater (San Francisco), Cleveland Play House, and the Almeida Theatre (London).

Can you share a bit about your connection to the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards? 

I have had the pleasure of working on the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards since I joined the Cleveland Foundation in 2019. I think it’s one of Cleveland’s hidden gems—although we don’t want it to stay hidden!

What was a book or an interaction with literature that first sparked your interest in reading? 

One of my favorite childhood books is “Ella Enchanted” by Gail Carson Levine. I was a voracious reader from a young age, and one of my elementary school teachers shared the book with me as bonus reading outside of class. Having someone say “here’s a book I think you’ll like” made me feel so seen.

Which book or books in the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards canon resonate the most with you and why?

One of my favorite Anisfield-Wolf Book Award winners is “There There” by Tommy Orange, which I couldn’t put down, even when it devastated me. Before I learned about Anisfield-Wolf, I wasn’t very familiar with contemporary poetry, but now I am a fan of Victoria Chang. In her book “Obit,” each poem is formatted as an obituary, a beautiful demonstration of her grief after her mother dies. I was also moved by Ilya Kaminsky’s “Deaf Republic,” which weaves sign language into the story through illustrations! The opening poem, “We Lived Happily During the War,” will always stay with me.

Explore Melissa’s Favorite Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards Winners