The annual celebration weekend will anchor the month-long Cleveland Book Fest – a showcase of literary excellence in Northeast Ohio
The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards (AWBA), the only national juried prize for literature that explores race and diversity, marks its 91st year with a series of events September 18-19 that will bring the 2026 winners to Cleveland for the annual award ceremony, readings and conversations across the city.
The AWBA events will anchor the month-long Cleveland Book Fest – a showcase of literary events across Cleveland alongside partners throughout September.
“The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards are a uniquely Cleveland prize, and this year’s class is a powerful reflection of the consequential voices that have shaped and continue to define the awards,” said Kortney Morrow, director, Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards. “Every winner in a competitive category this year is a debut author – they include voices we are meeting for the very first time, at the exact moment their ideas are reshaping how we think about race, culture, history and one another. Our celebration weekend gives Clevelanders the rare chance to engage first hand with these authors and ideas.”
Anisfield Wolf Book Awards – A Nationally Renowned Prize Stewarded in Cleveland
Founded in 1935 by poet and philanthropist Edith Anisfield Wolf, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards have an extraordinary track record of recognizing work that endures. The Cleveland Foundation continues to steward the awards today.
Selected by a distinguished jury chaired by Pulitzer Prize–winning poet and AWBA-winning memoirist Natasha Trethewey and including Pulitzer Prize and AWBA-winning poet Jericho Brown; AWBA-winning novelist Peter Ho Davies; bestselling AWBA-winning writer and scholar Charles King; National Book Award and AWBA-winning writer and American historian Tiya Miles; and critically acclaimed author Luis Alberto Urrea, every winner in a competitive category for 2026 is a debut author, indicating the prize’s unwavering commitment to seeking out transformative work wherever it first emerges.
2026 Winners:
Fiction:Make Your Way Home by Carrie R. Moore
Nonfiction:Born in Flames: The Business of Arson and the Remaking of the American City by Bench Ansfield
Memoir:The Hollow Half: A Memoir of Bodies and Borders by Sarah Aziza
Poetry: Death Does Not End at the Sea by Gbenga Adesina
Lifetime Achievement Award: Honoring pioneering historian Nell Irvin Painter
“For nine decades, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards have set the intellectual table for conversations on race and cultural differences and have fundamentally shaped how we see the world,” said jury chair Trethewey. “The 2026 class joins an extraordinary canon of seminal texts that continue to deepen our understanding of race, justice and humanity.”
The 2026 AWBA celebration weekend invites the public into conversation with this year’s honorees.
Tickets for the City Club and Awards Ceremony are now available and tickets for Saturday events will be available August 15.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18: CITY CLUB + AWARDS CEREMONY
11:30 AM-1 PM: The weekend opens Friday with a special City Club of Cleveland Forum featuring AWBA 2026 winner Sarah Aziza in conversation with WEWS reporter Nadeen Abusada.
6:30 PM: The 91st Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards Ceremony takes place at the Maltz Performing Arts Center (1855 Ansel Rd.), hosted by Jury Chair Natasha Trethewey. A public afterparty follows from 7:30–10 p.m. at the Ballroom at Park Lane, featuring book signings, food, music and merchandise for sale via Mac’s Backs.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19: A DAY WITH THE 2026 CLASS — EVENTS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Saturday’s full day of programming offers Clevelanders unprecedented access to this year’s honorees across venues in Ohio City.
11-11:45 AM | Bench Ansfield with DeRay Mckesson and Tara Raghuveer (Director of the Tenant Union Federation) | Ohio City Room at Market Garden
Bench Ansfield joins civil rights activist and Campaign Zero Executive Director DeRay Mckesson and Director of the Tenant Union Federation Tara Raghuveer for a fireside chat on arson, insurance fraud, and tenant organizing in the Bronx and beyond.
12-12:45 PM | Sarah Aziza with Masrah Cleveland Al-Arabi | Jaja
Sarah Aziza will be joined by members of Cleveland Public Theatre’s Community Ensemble Masrah Cleveland Al-Arabi and three-time Arab American Book Award winner Phil Metres for a performance and conversation on Arabic, translation and the politics of language.
2:30–3:15 PM | Carrie R. Moore with Stevona Elem Rogers | The Foundry Carriage House
A conversation on writing Black romance, faith and the American South will feature debut fiction writer Carrie R. Moore in dialogue with writer and cultural worker Stevona Elem Rogers.
3:30-4:15 PM | Gbenga Adesina | The Foundry Tank House
Debut poet Gbenga Adesina reads a selection of pieces from Death Does Not End at the Sea amidst state-of-the-art indoor rowing tanks for a reading rooted in grief, migration, borders, faith and the power of the sea.
A Uniquely Cleveland Experience – Cleveland Book Fest Takes Over the City in September
Cleveland Book Fest will take place across Cleveland in September. This month-long showcase of literary excellence in Northeast Ohio is slated to draw in thousands of book lovers, writers and residents through author talks, poetic-inspired exhibits, dynamic readings, writing workshops and publishing panels.
Official partners include the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards, The City Club of Cleveland, Cleveland Public Library, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Great Lakes African American Writers Conference (GLAAWC), Lake Erie Ink, Literary Cleveland and Writers in Residence.
“Over the years, Cleveland Book Fest has grown from a week of events into a month-long celebration of literary excellence, drawing some of the biggest names in the literary world alongside a wide audience of readers and writers from across the region,” said Morrow. “None of that happens without our partners, which are each leading extraordinary programming of their own, built to engage and educate every kind of audience. We’re especially thrilled that several past Anisfield-Wolf winners are returning to Cleveland as part of this year’s Book Fest.”
The full schedule for Book Fest is available here.
About the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards
Established in 1935 by poet and philanthropist Edith Anisfield Wolf, the awards are the only national juried prize for literature that confronts race and celebrates diversity. The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards are administered by the Cleveland Foundation. For more information, visit Anisfield-Wolf.org, and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
About Cleveland Book Fest
Cleveland Book Fest (formerly known as Cleveland Book Week) is a multi-organization initiative designed to showcase literary excellence in Northeast Ohio. This year’s festival is slated to draw in thousands of book lovers, writers and residents through author talks, poetic-inspired exhibits, dynamic readings and publishing panels. Partners include the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards, The City Club of Cleveland, Cleveland Public Library, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Great Lakes African American Writers Conference (GLAAWC), Lake Erie Ink, Literary Cleveland and Writers in Residence. For more information and event schedules, visit www.clevelandbookfest.com.
Save the Date- September 18-19, 2026
Join us for a weekend of opening and challenging minds as we honor the 2026 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award winners. Attend our annual signature ceremony at the Maltz Performing Arts Center on September 18 as this year’s winners join the esteemed canon of America’s only juried book prize focusing on works that address racism and diversity.
On September 19, we will host a series of events featuring thought-provoking conversations and readings featuring past AWBA winners and jurors—leading writers who have fundamentally shaped how we think about race relations and cultural diversity.
Full Schedule + Tickets Coming Soon
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CLEVELAND – [March 3, 2026] – The Cleveland Foundation announced 11 finalists for the 2026 Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards (AWBA), marking 91 years of honoring literature that contributes to our understanding of race and our appreciation of the rich diversity of human cultures.
Death Does Not End at the Sea by Gbenga Adesina
Born in Flames: The Business of Arson and the Remaking of the American City by Bench Ansfield
The Hollow Half: A Memoir of Bodies and Borders by Sarah Aziza
Joy Goddess: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance by A’Lelia Bundles
Flashlight by Susan Choi
Jailbreak of Sparrows by Martín Espada
The Second Emancipation: Nkrumah, Pan-Africanism, and Global Blackness at High Tide by Howard W. French
The finalists were chosen by the AWBA jury, led by Pulitzer Prize winning author, former U.S. Poet Laureate, and 2021 Anisfield-Wolf nonfiction winner Natasha Trethewey. Trethewey is joined by a jury of prominent scholars and writers: esteemed AWBA-winning novelist Peter Ho Davies; bestselling AWBA-winning writer and scholar Charles King; AWBA-winning writer and American historian Tiya Miles; and critically acclaimed author Luis Alberto Urrea. The selection process reflects the award’s deep commitment to literary excellence and social relevance.
“These 11 titles represent bold innovation in the literary arts and the breadth of human diversity,” said Trethewey. “Through a mix of seasoned and debut writers, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards jury celebrates the courage, urgency, and prescience of each author as they write towards freedom.”
The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards has advanced several strategic initiatives in the last year, including an historic prize increase, signaling an evolution from its place among the country’s most revered literary honors into a cultural force that actively shapes national discourse, advances enduring values, and influences public thought.
Last year’s decision to announce finalists for the award marked a meaningful departure from past practice, elevating more of these exceptional authors and bringing their work to a wider audience. In 2025, AWBA also tripled the cash prize to $30,000 in each of its four categories—fiction, nonfiction, memoir, and poetry—reflecting a deepened commitment to supporting authors whose work challenges injustice and expands our understanding of race, culture, and identity.
For the first time in prize history, the winners will be announced in New York City on April 15. The winners will also be honored at the upcoming annual Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards ceremony and awards weekend this fall in Cleveland.
“The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards are making monumental strides to invest in the authors of our times–these are authors whose literary works will fundamentally shape how we see and understand race and diversity for years to come,” said Kortney Morrow, director of the Awards. “We’ve tripled the cash prize to $30K each, built a literary festival, and are presenting a new canon of writers that are committed to rigorous historical excavation all in search of truth and freedom.”
Founded in 1935 by poet and philanthropist Edith Anisfield Wolf, AWBA remains the only national endowed juried prize recognizing books that contribute to our understanding of race and foster an appreciation of cultural diversity. Past winners include Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, Martin Luther King Jr., Nadine Gordimer, Wole Soyinka, Toni Morrison, Isabel Wilkerson, and Colson Whitehead—writers whose work has shaped discourse on race and identity.
Anisfield Wolf was a quiet but fearless change maker who recognized the power of literature.
“Edith believed in the power of words to move our hearts and in its capacity to confront injustice, challenge systems, and expand our understanding of one another. That is why she permanently endowed this prize.” said The Cleveland Foundation CEO Lillian Kuri. “This year’s finalists have penned courageous texts in the pursuit of a more just world – and it’s our job to steward Edith’s legacy by pouring into their artistic process and amplifying their works to new audiences and new heights.”
About the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards recognize books that have made important contributions to our understanding of race and human diversity. Established in 1935 by poet and philanthropist Edith Anisfield Wolf, the awards are the only national endowed juried prize for literature that explores race and celebrates diversity. The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards are administered by the Cleveland Foundation. For more information follow us on Facebook, X, Threads, and Instagram.
About the Cleveland Foundation Established in 1914, the Cleveland Foundation is the world’s first community foundation – and one of the largest today. Through the generosity of donors, the foundation improves the lives of residents of Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga counties by building community endowment, addressing needs through grantmaking and providing leadership on vital issues. Our vision is a vibrant Northeast Ohio where no Clevelander is left behind. For more information, visit ClevelandFoundation.org and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Kamden Hilliard — a poet who has lived in Hawai’i, southern California, New York City, Hong Kong, Iowa and South Carolina over their 26 years — will be the second Anisfield-Wolf Fellow in Writing and Editing.
Hilliard was chosen from among more than 100 applicants. The poet, who uses “they, them, their” pronouns, has yet to see Cleveland. That will happen when they start the two-year fellowship in August at the Cleveland State University Poetry Center.
The new fellow will succeed Leila Chatti, whose first book “Deluge” arrives from Copper Canyon Press April 21. The poets have friends in common but have yet to meet. The fellowship combines writing, editing and community engagement.
“I was born in California to military parents,” Hilliard writes in their application. “We moved around most of my childhood and finally settled in Hawai’i in early 2002. The real and imagined traumas of 9/11, the violent mechanics of settlement and militarism in Hawai’i, and the ongoing condition of blackness sculpted my childhood. As such, my work is obsessed with the problems of inheritance, identity-based discrimination, and antiblackness.”
Hilliard graduated with an MFA in Poetry from the prestigious Iowa Writers Workshop last spring. They took an AmeriCorps Vista position with the Greenville County Behavioral Health Coalition, which helps nonprofits in upstate South Carolina deliver mental health and anti-addiction services. Hilliard, who laughs easily and delights in language, specialized in connecting LGBTQ youth to these services.
“I’m not from a place where people spend a lot of time writing and reading,” Hilliard said in a phone interview. “So, after two years in Iowa City, I was attracted to a place where I could dream toward community and a different future, organize to get things done and think about the reasons we write and need literature.”
Hilliard’s own work is quick-footed and linguistically playful. It has been collected into three chapbooks — “Distress Tolerance” in 2016 and “Perceived Distance From Impact” the following year. Their third collection, “henceforce: a travel poetic,” was published in 2019. They helped edit Jellyfish Magazine for three years.
Last fall, the poet Tommy Pico singled out a Hilliard poem for praise: “It takes the play dough colors of modern languages and squishes them all together in a statement on the nature of communication and I, for one, am here. for. it.”
That poem was runner-up for the Black Warrior Review Prize.
“We were especially drawn to the experimental force and verve of Kamden Hilliard’s poetry – which, as Craig Santos Perez has said, ‘transgresses the normative and secured border of nationalism, gender, aesthetics and language itself,’” noted Hilary Plum, assistant director of the Cleveland State Poetry Center. “In their application, Kam’s approach to literary community and diversity work combined the theoretical and the practical. We were struck by their ambition, the depth of their engagement and their sense of what’s possible.”
For their part, Hilliard said they were looking forward to shaping the fellowship and carrying it beyond the usual places.
“In our public conversations, we can attend to the places we inhabit,” they said. “’Ohio’ is not a British word. It’s an indigenous word. The shape of the fellowship, the folk who put it together – I take all of it as a positive sign. I have a lot of gratitude and look forward to starting the next chapter with you.”
Hear Hilliard read their 2018 poem, “Ride W Favor.”
Pull up a chair at Case Western Reserve University’s new reading seminar for a hearty discussion of four Anisfield-Wolf award-winning books, covering everything from the modern, urban Native experience to the consequences of political upheaval in Chile.
Organizers invite you to explore four Anisfield-Wolf award winning books:
“There There” by Tommy Orange (2019, fiction) — January 23
Orange, an enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho nations, launched his literary career with :”There There,” a layered, multi generational journey of 12 Native American characters who converge on a fictional powwow at the Oakland Coliseum. “Markedly, there’s so much joy [from Native communities] in feeling like they’re in a book, in a way that feels like ‘now,’ like it hasn’t been represented enough.” Orange said during a recent stop in Cleveland.
“Amazing Grace: The Lives of Children and the Conscience of a Nation” by Jonathan Kozol (1996, nonfiction) — February 20
In “Amazing Grace,” Kozol examines the living conditions of poor children in the South Bronx, giving residents in his 300-page treatise space to discuss AIDS, drug addiction, prostitution, crime, dismal education systems, white flight and more.
“The House of the Spirits” by Isabel Allende (2017, fiction) — April 16
What began as a letter to Allende’s 100-year-old grandfather became “The House of the Spirits,” her debut novel that led to a career tally of more than 67 million copies sold. The story follows four generations of the Trueba family through political upheaval in Chile, Allende’s home.
Colette Ngana, a doctoral student in sociology, said the choice to begin with “There There” was an intentional one.
“I don’t think we highlight indigenous writers often enough,” Ngana said. “[There There] allows us to learn more about the historical perspective. If you didn’t know about the occupation of Alcatraz, for example, the book pushes you to look into indigenous history. What does that mean for our perspectives in resistance movements of the indigenous experience?”
Facilitators will provide historical and political context on the books, while participants are invited to discuss the larger themes these books present.
The reading seminar is open to the community, with organizers hoping for a mixture of students, staff and Cleveland-area residents to attend. “Often we don’t have many opportunities for people in the community to feel integrated into academic life,” Ngana said. “[This first seminar] will be a test to see who comes. We want everybody to feel welcome.”
The first session will be held Thursday, January 23 from 4 to 5:15 p.m. in the Kelvin Smith Library’s Dampeer Room, 11055 Euclid Avenue. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Lisa Kollins at lbk24@case.edu.
Novelist Tommy Orange, cast in the warm glow of the lights at St. John Episcopal Church, brought his Anisfield-Wolf award-winning debut, “There There” to Northeast Ohio for Cleveland Book Week.
The evening’s reading melded some new writing from Orange about fathers and sons playing basketball with dancers and drummers from the Lake Erie Native American Council, who performed traditional powwow dances and a drum circle. Their music and movement gave attendees a taste of the book, which follows twelve urban Native characters in advance of a fictious Oakland Coliseum powwow. More than 80 percent of indigenous Americans live outside reservations.
“I very much wanted to write about the place I grew up,” Orange told the packed crowd. “I love Oakland. There’s ten million New York novels and there’s very few Oakland-specific novels and I definitely wanted to contribute in that way.”
Orange was born in Oakland in 1982 to a white mother and Native father and is an enrolled member the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. Growing up, he struggled with identity and embedded pieces of that discernment into each of the characters in “There There.”
“It was really important to me that the Native communities, especially the Oakland one, that people wouldn’t think that what I wrote was untrue to their experience,” Orange said. “Markedly, there’s so much joy [from Native communities] in feeling like they’re in a book, in a way that feels like ‘now,’ like it hasn’t been represented enough.”
Watch the full event below and make plans to join us next year for Cleveland Book Week 2020.
