Anisfield‑Wolf awards four debuts

The 2026 Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards went to four debut books, giving first-time winners the full spotlight in fiction, nonfiction, memoir and poetry. (anisfield-wolf.org) The winners announced April 15 are Carrie R. Moore for *Make Your Way Home* in fiction, Sarah Aziza for *The Hollow Half* in memoir, Jared Lemus for *Guatemalan Rhapsody* in poetry, and Tessa Hulls for *Feeding Ghosts* in nonfiction. Each winner receives $30,000. (anisfield-wolf.org) The Cleveland-based prize said this is a “milestone year” because all four winning books are debuts. Public radio coverage in Ohio said the 2026 field began with 11 finalists before the jury chose the four category winners. (clevelandfoundation.org, ideastream.org) The Anisfield-Wolf awards were founded in 1935 by Cleveland poet and philanthropist Edith Anisfield Wolf. The organization says it is the only national endowed juried prize for literature focused on race and the diversity of human cultures. (anisfield-wolf.org, clevelandfoundation.org) This year’s books span migration, family history and identity across several regions, including the United States, Palestine, Guatemala and China. Executive Director Kortney Morrow told Ohio public radio that “migration and belonging” linked the finalists and winners. (ideastream.org, wysu.org) The jury is chaired by Natasha Trethewey, the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and former United States Poet Laureate, and includes historian Nell Irvin Painter, novelist Jesmyn Ward, scholar Tiya Miles and psychologist Steven Pinker. Trethewey said the judges chose books that “deepen our understanding” and “enlarge our empathy.” (anisfield-wolf.org, lithub.com) The prize money is larger than it was in earlier years. Ideastream reported that the award amount was tripled in recent years, bringing each 2026 winner to $30,000. (ideastream.org) The result is a literary prize with a 91-year history using one of its biggest recent purses to back four first books at once. This year’s winners will be honored as the Anisfield-Wolf awards continue a tradition that started in Cleveland and now reaches a national audience. (anisfield-wolf.org, clevelandfoundation.org)