Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards name 2026 finalists
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Eleven finalists have been named for the 2026 Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards.
Why it matters: The AWBA, based in Cleveland and administered by the Cleveland Foundation, is the only national endowed juried prize recognizing books that deepen our understanding of race and human diversity.
- Founded in 1935 by poet and philanthropist Edith Anisfield Wolf, the awards are now in their 91st year.
What they're saying: "These 11 titles represent bold innovation in the literary arts and the breadth of human diversity," jury chair Natasha Trethewey said in a press release.
Zoom in: The 2026 finalists are:
- Gbenga Adesina, "Death Does Not End at the Sea" (Poetry)
- Bench Ansfield, "Born in Flames: The Business of Arson and the Remaking of the American City" (Nonfiction)
- Sarah Aziza, "The Hollow Half: A Memoir of Bodies and Borders" (Memoir)
- A'Lelia Bundles, "Joy Goddess: A'Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance" (Nonfiction)
- Susan Choi, "Flashlight" (Fiction)
- Martín Espada, "Jailbreak of Sparrows" (Poetry)
- Howard W. French, "The Second Emancipation: Nkrumah, Pan-Africanism, and Global Blackness at High Tide" (Nonfiction)
- Jared Lemus, "Guatemalan Rhapsody" (Fiction)
- Cathy Linh Che, "Becoming Ghost" (Poetry)
- Carrie R. Moore, "Make Your Way Home" (Fiction)
- Arundhati Roy, "Mother Mary Comes to Me" (Memoir)
The intrigue: For the first time in prize history, winners will be announced in New York City on April 15 before being honored at the annual awards ceremony in Cleveland this fall.
What's next: Four winners (fiction, nonfiction, memoir and poetry) will each receive $30,000, triple the award amount from previous years.