A Literary Feast - Virginia Style
Every fall, for readers and writers, there’s no place like Richmond, Virginia. As the leaves change across the state, the Library of Virginia, in their magnificent home on Broad Street, hosts their annual awards. There is festive attire, dinner, music, conversation and an awards ceremony where literary prizes etched in crystal are bestowed upon the winners. Dominion Energy presents the evening, and keeps the dazzling lights on! Carole and Marcus Weinstein support the celebration of literature in the main lobby, converted into an elegant ballroom for the celebration of libraries, books and authors.
Since its inception, the pantheon of Virginia’s great writers have been honored: Tom Wolfe, Lee Smith, Earl Hamner, Jr., Nikki Giovanni, Barbara Kingsolver, David Baldacci, Rita Dove, Annette Gordon-Reed, Richard Bausch, Carrie Brown, Deborah Eisenberg, Melvin Ely, Claudia Emerson, John Grisham, Jocelyn Nicole Johnson, Wesley Hogan, Constance Merritt, Scott Nelson, Debra Nystrom, James I. Robertson Jr, R. T. Smith, Rebecca Skloot, Meg Medina, Lisa Spaar, Dabney Stuart, and Charles Wright.
The awards are presented to authors and their books published in the previous calendar year, who are either from Virginia, live here, teach here, or whose narratives are connected to the Virginia experience, its history and people. We’ve even had honorees who graduated from one of our many prestigious universities and colleges in the Commonwealth.
This year winners were extraordinary:
NONFICTION AWARD: Elizabeth R. Varon | “Longstreet: The Confederate General Who Defied the South”
FICTION AWARD: Angie Kim | “Happiness Falls”
POETRY AWARD: Janine Joseph | “Decade of the Brain: Poems”
CHILDREN’S LITERATURE: Kwame Alexander | “An American Story”
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD FOR NONFICTION: Sheila Johnson | “Walk Through Fire: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Triumph”
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD FOR FICTION: Martin Clark | “The Plinko Bounce”
ART IN LITERATURE: THE MARY LYNN KOTZ AWARD: Katy Hessel | “The Story of Art Without Men” (presented with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts)
The judges are a stellar list of authors and professionals. The People’s Choice Award is selected by readers who place their votes in every branch library across the commonwealth. It is full on- reader participation! I was thrilled when my friend Sheila Johnson won because her memoir, Walk Through Fire, truly proves you can walk through fire and come out the other side.
The authors share their artistic journeys when they receive their awards- the night is emotional and moving. Reginald Dwayne Betts, founder and CEO of Freedom Reads, was honored with the Library's honorary Patron of Letters degree. His moving life story filled us with hope as he works on behalf of literacy. A poet and lawyer, the author of four books, a 2021 MacArthur Fellow, recipient of the American Book Award and an NAACP Image Award. He holds a J.D. from Yale Law School. I loved meeting Reginald’s beautiful mother, Gloria, an avid reader!
I was honored to be the emcee of the awards, which, if I’m honest, is my version of participating in the Olympics: I must prepare, stay alert, pay attention and make sure the correct envelope goes in the presenters hands- (you remember what happened to beloved Warren Beatty at the Oscars, we can’t let that happen in Richmond!). Our presenters are as accomplished as the nominees- so you can imagine my nerves- I sweat off a couple pounds every time I host.
It’s important to honor books and authors, and just as important to support our libraries and elevate the librarians of our public library system. Librarians read, they choose, they share and they connect us through great literature. My mom was a librarian, and because of her, I revere books and the work that goes into writing one. Whenever I enter a library, I am home. And you know, there’s no place like home.