RALEIGH, N.C. (NCN News) — North Carolina’s rich literary tradition will be celebrated Dec. 4 as the 2026 North Carolina Book Awards are presented during the annual meeting of the N.C. Literary and Historical Association at 109 E. Jones St. in Raleigh. The ceremony begins at 1 p.m. in the ground-floor auditorium and is free and open to the public. The annual awards recognize significant works by North Carolina writers.
Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle, winner of the 2021 Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award for her novel “Even As We Breathe,” will deliver the keynote address.
Since its founding in September 1900, the N.C. Literary and Historical Association has worked to stimulate the production of literature and collect and preserve North Carolina’s historical resources. The Office of Archives and History is within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and administers the North Carolina Book Awards program.
The 2026 North Carolina Book Award winners are:
Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction: Joshua Trent Brown for “The Walls Are Closing in on Us” (Malarkey Books, 2026). A writer from Cerro Gordo, Brown is an author, communications professional and musician. His debut novel was published in March 2026. Thirty books were nominated for this year’s award, compared with 17 in 2025.
Ragan Old North State Award for Nonfiction: Judkin Browning for “Deserter Declarations: Letters from North Carolinians Who Abandoned Their Confederate Units” (University of Georgia Press, 2026). Browning is a professor of military history at Appalachian State University and the author or co-author of five books on the Civil War. His latest work examines nearly 200 letters written by Confederate deserters or by friends and family members petitioning on their behalf, offering insight into the experiences and motivations of North Carolina soldiers who left military service. Twenty-seven books were nominated for the award, up from 21 in 2025.
Roanoke Chowan Award for Poetry: Ina Cariño for “Reverse Requiem” (Alice James Books, 2026). A Whiting Award-winning poet and writer originally from the Philippines, Cariño is a Kundiman fellow whose work has appeared in numerous literary publications, including Poetry Magazine and The American Poetry Review. Their latest collection explores mental health, ancestry, human connection and the possibilities of healing. Twenty-five books were nominated for the award, compared with 19 in 2025.
NC AAUW Young People’s Literature Awards: Chrystal D. Giles for “Listen to the Girls” in middle-grade literature and Carolyn Bennett Fraiser for “M Is for Mason Jar: A Homesteading Alphabet” in children’s picture books. Giles is an award-winning children’s author whose debut novel, “Take Back the Block,” received multiple starred reviews and national recognition. Her subsequent novel, “Not An Easy Win,” was named an American Library Association Notable Children’s Book. Fraiser writes children’s books inspired by the natural world and history. She lives in western North Carolina, where she and her husband manage a small homestead.
The N.C. Literary and Historical Association also recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to North Carolina’s literary, historical and cultural life. The 2026 Achievement Award recipients are:
Christopher Crittenden Memorial Award for Significant Contributions to the History of North Carolina: Co-winners are Robert R. Korstad, who is the Kevin D. Gorter Professor of Public Policy and History at Duke University, and James L. Leloudis, who is Professor of History, Peter T. Grauer Associate Dean for Honors Carolina, and director of the James M. Johnston Center for Undergraduate Excellence at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
George Moses Horton Memorial Award for Significant Contributions to North Carolina Literature: Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle of Cherokee. An enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Clapsaddle wrote “Even As We Breathe” (2020), the first novel published by an enrolled tribal member. The book was named an NPR Best Book of 2020 and won the 2021 Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award. A Yale and William & Mary graduate, Clapsaddle is a writer, educator and founder of Bird Words, LLC. She previously led the Cherokee Preservation Foundation and taught at Swain County High School for more than a decade. She also founded an Indigenous writers’ workshop with the Museum of the Cherokee People.
Hardee Rives Award for Dramatic Arts: Led by producing Artistic Director Vivienne Benesch, Playmakers Repertory Company of Chapel Hill, is made up of accomplished performers, directors, designers, artisans, and technicians, and supported by exceptional graduate students in UNC’s Department of Dramatic Art. The company, which was formed in 1976, collaborates with guest artists from all over the world and alumni include Pulitzer Prize, Tony, Emmy, and Grammy Award winners.
All activities are open to N.C. Literary and Historical Association members and members of the public and are free of charge. However, an RSVP email sent to Parker Backstrom, the association’s assistant secretary, at parker.backstrom@dncr.nc.gov to confirm attendance is appreciated.