Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence

The Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence is an annual national literary award designed to recognize rising African-American fiction writers. First awarded in 2007, the prize is underwritten by donors of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation in honor of the literary heritage provided by author Ernest J. Gaines, with the winner receiving a cash award ($15,000 as of 2020) "to support and enable the writer to focus on writing."^[1] It has been described as "the nation's biggest prize for African-American writers".^[2]

Past winners[]

2007 - Olympia Vernon, A Killing in This Town
2008 - , Like Trees, Walking^[3]
2009 - , Holding Pattern: Stories
2010 - Victor LaValle, Big Machine^[4]
2011 - Dinaw Mengestu, How to Read the Air^[5]
2012 - Stephanie Powell Watts, We Are Taking Only What We Need^[6]
2013 - Attica Locke, The Cutting Season^[7]
2014 - Mitchell S. Jackson, The Residue Years^[8]
2015 - , Welcome to Braggsville
2016 - Crystal Wilkinson, The Birds of Opulence
2017 - , The Talented Ribkins^[9]
2018 - Jamel Brinkley, A Lucky Man^[10]
2019 - Bryan Washington, Lot^[11]

Panel of Judges[]

References[]

^ "About the Award". The Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
^ Bass, Erin Z. (September 22, 2014). "A Lesson on Ernest Gaines". Deep South Magazine. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
^ Memmott, Carol. "New Voices: Ravi Howard", USA Today, February 14, 2007.
^ Davis, Kristy. "O's 2011 Summer Reading List | Big Machine", "Oprah.com", June 13, 2011.
^ Hatley, James. "Making Gaines" Archived July 14, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, 225, Louisiana, May 22, 2012.
^ Waddington, Chris (2015). "Nation's biggest prize for African-American writers goes to Stephanie Powell Watts | NOLA.com". nola.com. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
^ Waddington, Chris. "Novelist Attica Locke wins biggest U.S. award for African-American writers", "NOLA.com|The Times-Picayune", Louisiana, October 29, 2013.
^ Brasted, Chelsea (January 23, 2015). "Mitchell S. Jackson accepts Ernest J. Gaines Award for his debut, 'The Residue Years'". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
^ "Winners". The Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
^ Johnson, Chevel (January 23, 2019). "Jamel Brinkley wins Ernest J. Gaines Award recognizing African-American fiction writers". USA TODAY. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
^ Johnson, Chevel (January 30, 2020). "Houston writer Bryan Washington to receive Gaines Award". AP. Retrieved February 26, 2020.

External links[]

Official website

[1] "About the Award". The Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence. Retrieved March 17, 2021.

[2] Bass, Erin Z. (September 22, 2014). "A Lesson on Ernest Gaines". Deep South Magazine. Retrieved March 17, 2021.

[3] Memmott, Carol. "New Voices: Ravi Howard", USA Today, February 14, 2007.

[4] Davis, Kristy. "O's 2011 Summer Reading List | Big Machine", "Oprah.com", June 13, 2011.

[5] Hatley, James. "Making Gaines" Archived July 14, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, 225, Louisiana, May 22, 2012.

[6] Waddington, Chris (2015). "Nation's biggest prize for African-American writers goes to Stephanie Powell Watts | NOLA.com". nola.com. Retrieved September 23, 2015.

[7] Waddington, Chris. "Novelist Attica Locke wins biggest U.S. award for African-American writers", "NOLA.com|The Times-Picayune", Louisiana, October 29, 2013.

[Brasted_2015-8] Brasted, Chelsea (January 23, 2015). "Mitchell S. Jackson accepts Ernest J. Gaines Award for his debut, 'The Residue Years'". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved August 15, 2016.

[9] "Winners". The Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence. Retrieved March 17, 2019.

[10] Johnson, Chevel (January 23, 2019). "Jamel Brinkley wins Ernest J. Gaines Award recognizing African-American fiction writers". USA TODAY. Retrieved 17 March 2019.

[11] Johnson, Chevel (January 30, 2020). "Houston writer Bryan Washington to receive Gaines Award". AP. Retrieved February 26, 2020.

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