Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards

The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards recognize books that deepen our understanding of racism and celebrate the diversity of human cultures. Cleveland poet and philanthropist Edith Anisfield Wolf founded them in 1935 in honor of her father, John Anisfield, and her husband, Eugene Wolf. The first prize went to a scholarly book on race relations, and a second prize for creative work followed in the 1940s. The Saturday Review administered the awards at first, and the Cleveland Foundation, the world's first community foundation, has run them since 1963.

Each year a jury of prominent writers and scholars, now chaired by poet Natasha Trethewey, selects winners in fiction, nonfiction and poetry, and a lifetime achievement award has also been given since 1996. The foundation describes the Anisfield-Wolf as the only American book prize devoted to works that address racism and diversity. Winners are honored at a public ceremony in Cleveland.

Books published during the previous year that make an important contribution to understanding racism and appreciating the diversity of human cultures.