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About the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award
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Sponsored in Part By:
Borders Books & Music
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The Hurston/Wright Legacy Award™ is the first national award presented to published writers of African descent by the national community of Black writers. This award, underwritten by Borders Books & Music, consists of prizes for the highest quality writing in the categories of Fiction, Debut Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry.
- Debut Fiction: Debut Novel, Novella, or Short Story Collection
- Fiction: Novel, Novella, or Short Story Collection
- Nonfiction: Autobiography, Memoir, Biography, History, Social Issues, Literary Criticism
- Poetry: Books In Verse, Pros Poetry, Formal Verse, Experimental Verse
- Writers must be of African descent; Black writers from any area of the diaspora.
- Full-length books of poetry, fiction and nonfiction, collections of short stories, and collections of essays by one author are eligible.
- Paperback originals are eligible.
- Works must have been published in the United States or must be U.S. editions of foreign books published for the first time in the United States.
- Self-published authors are eligible.
- An English translation of a book originally written in another language is eligible.
- All books submitted for consideration must have a publication date between January and December of the calendar year in which the application is being submitted. Bound galleys may be submitted.
- Anthologies containing works written by multiple authors are not eligible.
- Poetry books less than 50 pages are not eligible.
- A reprint of a book published in a previous year is not eligible.
- Board members and staff of the Hurston/Wright Foundation are not eligible for consideration of this award.
- No entry will be ineligible because its author has previously won the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, or any other award.
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- Include with each application a $25 nonrefundable application fee (in the form of a money order or check only).
- Books must be submitted by the publishing companies only.
- For full consideration however, permission of the author must be granted.
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The author of a Legacy nominated book or a representative is expected to attend the awards ceremony.
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Each publishing company will be required to designate one person to coordinate all Hurston/Wright Legacy Award related matters with the Foundation.
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The Hurston/Wright Foundation reserves the right to request that publishers submit specific titles to be considered for nomination.
All submissions must be received between September 1, 2009 and November 17, 2009.
Books not accompanied by the proper documentation will not be considered.
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More than 200 entries are submitted each year for the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award competition. The awards are the culmination of a yearlong process that begins early in the year with the appointment of 12 distinguished judges who serve on 4 separate juries and are asked to select 6 nominations in each of the 4 categories.
Apart from accounts carried prominently by newspapers, television, radio, and Internet sites, the details of the award appear on the Hurston/Wright Foundation web site. The announcement of the awards includes the name of the winner in each category, the names of the finalists, and the nominees. The announcement also lists the names of the jurors, which is kept confidential prior to the announcement to avoid lobbying.
An ancient Egyptian statue representing divine intellectual pursuits is awarded to the winners and finalists of the award. Along with the statues, there are cash prizes the amount of which may vary from year to year based on funds raised on behalf of the award.
For most recipients of the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, the cash prize is only incidental to the prestige accruing to the authors and their works. From time to time there may be numerous competitions that bestow far larger cash awards, yet which do not rank in public perception on a level with the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award. The Hurston/Wright accolade on the cover of a book or in the media translates into increased book sales and recognition.
A panel of three industry professionals in each genre will judge all submissions. A slate of six books in each category will comprise the nominations for the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award.
A short list of books chosen by the Hurston/Wright Foundation committee will be selected and submitted to this panel of judges.
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2008 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award Judges
Fiction
Bernice McFadden
Jewell Parker Rhodes
Nelly Rosario
Debut Fiction
Nicole Bailey-Williams
Asali Solomon
Nonfiction
Mary Frances-Berry
Karla FC Holloway
Elizabeth McHenry
Poetry
Derrick Weston Brown
E. Ethelbert Miller
Cornelius Eady
To view a list of the 2008 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award Nominees click here. The Awards Ceremony will be held at the National Press Club in Washington DC on November 7.
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An annual North Star Award is presented to honor writers who have made distinguished contributions to the literary traditions of writers of African descent, or who have, through exemplary service, and/or personal generosity, expanded opportunities for Black writers.
The award is named The North Star Award in homage to the significance of the north star for enslaved Africans, who looked to the north star as a guide to freedom. The recipients of the North Star Award are individuals whose writing and/or service to the Black writing community has established them as a beacon of brilliant accomplishment and as an inspiration to others.
Introduced in 2005 was the Madame C.J. Walker Award, which is given to businesses that have shown exceptional innovation in supporting and sustaining Black literature.
Introduced in 2007 was the Ella Baker Award, which is given to civic leaders who are instrumental in promoting and sustaining the cultural life of their communities.
Previous Recipients of the North Star Award
| Sonia Sanchez |
2007 |
| Bill Cox |
2006 |
| Paul Coates |
2006 |
| Marie Brown | 2005 |
| Howard Dodson | 2005 |
| Gordon Parks | 2005 |
| David Levering Lewis | 2004 |
| Eloise Greenfield | 2003 |
| Chinua Achebe | 2002 |
| Walter Mosley | 1999 |
| E. Lynn Harris | 1998 |
Previous Recipients of the Madame C.J. Walker Award
| Shrine of the Black Madonna |
2007 |
| Karibu Books |
2006 |
| The Hue-Man Bookstore |
2005 |
Previous Recipients of the Ella Baker Award
| Senator David C. Harrington |
2007 |
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- When is the submission deadline? November 17, 2009
- If an author has previously won the Legacy Award are they eligible for another year? Yes
- If I am self-published am I eligible? Yes
- Is there a submission fee? Yes, $25 per submission
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