Richard Wright Literary Awards

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Richard Wright Literary Awards
March 27, 5PM

Memphis Public Libraries will hold the 3rd annual Richard Wright Literary Awards, celebrating and awarding local authors in various categories of fiction, nonfiction, poetry and illustration.

This event is sponsored by the Memphis Library Foundation, International Paper and Alice Faye Duncan in memory of Earline Duncan.

Past Winners

2025

Young Adult Poetry

Premonition

J.M. Paden

Young Adult Fantasy / Science Fiction

The Witch and the Wyrm

Beth Alvarez

Young Adult Fiction

Knight & Daye: Box of Darkness Book 2

Daniel Reece

Graphic Novel

Jetta Tales of the Toshigawa – Defiance

Martheus Wade

Children Nonfiction

Shelby County A to Z

Ashley Davis

Children Poetry

Love Is Spelled T.I.M.E

T’Arrah Marjé 

Children Illustrated

Park Pals & the Grand Opening of Starry Nights

Martheus Wade

Children Fiction

Prideful Penny

T’Arrah Marjé 

Illustration

The Crossover: The Fashioner & the Moon

Laila Muhammad, ill.

Single Work in Anthology

Not My Day from Memphis Mosaic

Barbara Ragsdale

Adult Nonfiction

Daddy: A.C. Williams Jr. and His Teen Town Singers

Wiley Henry

Adult Poetry

Magic Enuff

Tara M. Stringfellow

Adult Fantasy / Science Fiction

Warmth & Darkness

Katie Silverwings

Adult Fiction

The Mayor of Maxwell Street

Avery Cunningham

2024

Young Adult Poetry

Black Girl Evolving: Poetry

Diana Townsend

Young Adult Fantasy / Science Fiction

Paragon of Water

Beth Alvarez

Young Adult Fiction

The Love of the Forgotten

C. Tarkington

Graphic Novel

Shinobi: Ninja Princess

Martheus Wade

Children Nonfiction

BJ and the Friendly Strangers

Tammy Terrell Kennard

Children Poetry

Reppin’ Memphis

Trina Somerville

Children Fantasy / Science Fiction

I See the Moon and the Moon Sees Me

Cassie Brooks

Children Fiction

Can We Go Out and Play

Warren W. Patten, Jr.

Illustration

The Crossover: the trio and the banished one

Laila Muhammad, ill.

Single Work in Anthology

One Good Turn

Frank DiBianca

Adult Nonfiction

Surprised by Glory

Shari Brand Ray

Adult Poetry

11

Velvet Gunn

Adult Fantasy / Science Fiction

Celadon

Katie Silverwings

Adult Fiction

Intermission

Phyllis R. Dixon

2023

Young Adult Nonfiction

The 5 R’s of Manhood
Jehad Webb

Young Adult Fiction

Stime After Tyme
Kay DiBianca

Children Nonfiction

Evicted
Alice Faye Duncan

Children Poetry

Still a Rose
T’Arrah Marjé

Children Fiction

My Wonderful Curls
Tristan Towns & Lacey Howard

Illustration

Yellow Dog Blues
Chris Raschka, ill.

Adult Nonfiction

Lost in China
Jennifer Dobbs

Adult Poetry

Jubilee Inspirations
Arnetta Stanton Macklin

Adult Fiction

Malfunction Junction
Daniel Reece, April Jones, et al.