Book lovers gathered in person for the first time since 2019 to celebrate Cleveland Book Week this fall, with a variety of events taking place Sept. 9-16 featuring past and present Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards winners.
In case you missed them, or would just like to enjoy again, you can watch recordings of author events showcasing 2022 poetry winner Donika Kelly, 2022 fiction winner Percival Everett, 2022 nonfiction winner George Makari and 2021 poetry winner Victoria Chang, as well as the full recording of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards ceremony held on Sept. 15 at the Maltz Performing Arts Center.
Check out highlights from the awards ceremony here.
Donika Kelly & “The Renunciations”
2022 Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards poetry winner Donika Kelly discussed the healing power of poetry and her award-winning work “The Renunciations” at the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland on Sept. 14.
Watch the recording here.
A Reckoning with Shared History: Lynching and Percival Everett’s “The Trees”
2022 fiction winner Percival Everett joined Black Environmental Leaders at St. Ignatius of Antioch Catholic Parish to discuss his novel “The Trees” at a community event commemorating the 1911 lynching of John Jordon.
Watch the recording here.
2022 Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards Ceremony
Watch the full recording of the awards ceremony honoring the 2022 class: poetry winner Donika Kelly, nonfiction winners George Makari and Tiya Miles, fiction winner Percival Everett and lifetime achievement winner Ishmael Reed.
Watch the recording here.
George Makari at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens
Nonfiction winner George Makari discussed the roots of xenophobia with Case Western Reserve University Department of History Chair and Theodore J. Castele Professor Dr. Jonathan Sadowsky at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens.
Watch the recording here.
An Evening with Victoria Chang
2021 poetry winner Victoria Chang shared readings from her book “Obit” in Lake View Cemetery’s Community Mausoleum.
Watch the recording here.
Want more of the 2022 Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards winners? Mark your calendars! The documentary celebrating them airs on Ideastream Public Media PBS on Nov. 3 at 9 p.m.! You can also catch up on seasons 1 & 2 of the Anisfield-Wolf podcast, The Asterisk* here.
Cleveland Book Week 2022
2022 Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards winners
The 2022 class of AWBA winners with their awards (from left to right): George Makari (nonfiction), Tiya Miles (nonfiction), Ishmael Reed (lifetime achievement), Donika Kelly (poetry) and Percival Everett (fiction).
Jury Chair Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards Jury Chair Henry Louis Gates Jr. introduces the 2022 winners.
Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards
The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards
Young Poet Kite Lin
Cleveland Metropolitan School District student poet Kite Lin accepts flowers from Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards Manager Karen R. Long after reading her poem on stage.
Book Signing
Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards winners sign books backstage following the ceremony.
2022 Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards Ceremony
Hundreds gathered for the first in-person Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards Ceremony since 2019.
Reception
Attendees head to the reception following the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards ceremony.
Donika Kelly
2022 poetry winner Donika Kelly discusses the healing power of creativity at the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland.
George Makari
2022 nonfiction winner George Makari discusses his work “Of Fear and Strangers” and the roots of xenophobia at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens.
Percival Everett
2022 fiction winner Percival Everett signs books following a discussion of his award-winning novel “The Trees” in partnership with Black Environmental Leaders at St. Ignatius of Antioch Catholic Church.
Victoria Chang
2021 poetry winner Victoria Chang reads from her book “Obit” at Lake View Cemetery’s Community Mausoleum.
