North Carolina Announces 2026 Literary Awards, Celebrating State's Rich Literary Tradition
North Carolina is set to celebrate its rich literary tradition on December 4 with the presentation of the 2026 North Carolina Book Awards. The annual ceremony, hosted by the N.C. Literary and Historical Association, will take place at 109 E. Jones St. in Raleigh and is free and open to the public. The awards recognize significant works by North Carolina writers across various categories. Joshua Trent Brown received the Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction for 'The Walls Are Closing in on Us,' while Judkin Browning won the Ragan Old North State Award for Nonfiction for 'Deserter Declarations.' Ina Cariño was honored with the Roanoke Chowan Award for Poetry for 'Reverse Requiem.' Additionally, Chrystal D. Giles and Carolyn Bennett Fraiser received the NC AAUW Young People’s Literature Awards. Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle, a 2021 Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award winner, will deliver the keynote address.
