Literature Nominees

• Outstanding Literary Work - Fiction

  

  The Reverend’s Wife

  winner

  Kimberla Lawson Roby (Grand Central Publishing)

  In this ninth installment of the Rev. Curtis Blach series, the reverend finds himself ready to move on after learning of his wife's two affairs. With another woman eagerly awaiting the opportunity to be the next Mrs. Curtis Blach.

  

  A Wish and a Prayer: A Blessings Novel

  Beverly Jenkins (HarperCollins Publishers (William Morrow Paperbacks))

  Bestselling author Beverly Jenkins returns to the town of Henry Adams and the residents who make it so unique.

  

  Destiny’s Divas

  Victoria Christopher Murray (Touchstone / Simon & Schuster)

  Secrets, scandal, and sin abound in the private lives of popular evangelic gospel group Destiny's Divas in this page-turning and revealing novel by the Essence-best selling author.

  

  Silent Cry

  Dywane Birch (Strebor Books)

  Silent Cry is a story that gives detailed accounts of how the cycle of violence disrupts lives and affects male adolescents in a home.

  

  The Secret She Kept

  ReShonda Tate Billingsley (Gallery Books, a division of Simon & Schuster)

  Tia Jiles and her family keep secret from Tia's new husband that she has bipolar disorder / schizophrenia, a secret which will rock her marriage and her entire world.

• Outstanding Literary Work - Non-Fiction

  

  The Oath: The Obama White House and the Supreme Court

  winner

  Jeffrey Toobin (Doubleday)

  This book explores the relationship between the White House and the Supreme Court through the lens of Chief Justice John Roberts and President Barack Obama.

  

  Fraternity

  Diane Brady (Spiegel & Grau (Random House))

  In 1968, a visionary priest recruited 20 black men to the College of the Holy Cross and changed their lives and the course of history.

  

  Guest of Honor: Booker T. Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, and the White House Dinner That Shocked a Nation

  Deborah Davis (Atria Books / Simon & Schuster)

  "Guest of Honor" explores the controversy surrounding the first time an African American had dinner at the White House and shines a light on an overlooked generation of black achievers.

  

  Power Concedes Nothing: One Woman’s Quest for Social Justice in America, from the Courtroom to the Kill Zones

  Connie Rice (Scribner)

  From one of the nation's most influential civil rights attorneys, a noble, hard-hitting memoir chronicling the life of a fiercely powerful woman dedicated to public service.

  

  The Courage to Hope

  Shirley Sherrod (Atria Books)

  Shirley Sherrod shares what it was like to be the center of a media firestorm after she was forced to resign from the USDA after false charges.

• Outstanding Literary Work - Debut Author

  

  Nikki G: A Portrait of Nikki Giovanni in Her Own Words

  winner

  Darryl L. Lacy (Darryl L. Lacy (iUniverse))

  Nikki G: A Portrait of Nikki Giovanni in Her Own Words is a stage drama that offers a glimpse into how the renowned poet lives as a poet.

  

  A Cupboard Full of Coats

  Yvvette Edwards (HarperCollins Publishers (Amistad))

  Lyrical debut with infusion of noir; Jinx believes she played a pivotal role in her mother's murder until a knock on the door brings an old acquaintance with the truth.

  

  Antebellum

  R. Kayeen Thomas (Strebor Books)

  A rapper is sent back in time where he finds himself a slave forced to live the life of his ancestors.

  

  Congo: Spirit of Darkness

  Mayi Ngwala (Genet Press)

  A retired journalist and lifelong abolitionist, is read her memoir, on her death bed, the tale of a journey to the heart of darkness and of her love interest.

  

  The Sister Accord: 51 Ways To Love Your Sister

  Sonia Jackson Myles (The Sister Accord, LLC)

  The Sister Accord: 51 Ways To Love Your Sister is a beautiful and engaging book focused on giving girls and women the tools to establish positive, supportive, and loving relationships.

• Outstanding Literary Work - Biography / Auto Biography

  

  Across That Bridge: Life Lessons and a Vision for Change

  winner

  John Lewis (Hyperion)

  An inspirational book combining John Lewis' life lessons and political experiences with his philosophy of living courageously with purpose. A guide to accomplishing goals/overcoming obstacles with patience and persistence.

  

  The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo

  Tom Reiss (Crown Publishers)

  A feat of historical sleuthing that brings to life the true story of General Alex Dumas, the forgotten hero who inspired The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers.

  

  The Good Food Revolution: Growing Healthy Food, People, and Communities

  Will Allen (Gotham Books)

  A pioneering urban farmer and MacArthur Genius winner points the way to building a new food system that feeds and heals broken communities.

  

  The One: The Life and Music of James Brown

  RJ Smith (Gotham Books)

  The definitive biography of James Brown, with fascinating findings on his life as the most innovative musician of our time.

  

  Interventions: A Life in War and Peace

  Kofi Annan (The Penguin Press)

  A candid memoir of global state craft during one of the most consequential eras of recent history, Interventions is the inside story of a world at the brink.

• Outstanding Literary Work - Instructional

  

  Health First: The Black Woman’s Wellness Guide

  winner

  Eleanor Hinton Hoytt, Hilary Beard (SmileyBooks)

  Health First!, the groundbreaking book that explores Black women's unique health challenges, offering hope and health through honest discussions with experts and stories of real women from adolescence through elderhood.

  

  12 Ways to Put Money in Your Pocket Every Month Without A Part Time Job; The Skinny Book That Makes Your Wallet Fat

  Jennifer Matthews (Pickett Fennell Publishing Group)

  Readers learn how to create hundreds of dollars monthly from 12 everyday expenses. The money created is in areas where money is already being spent. One reader finished with $1,000!

  

  Formula 50: A 6-Week Workout and Nutrition Plan That Will Transform Your Life

  50 Cent, Jeff O'Connell (Avery (Penguin Group))

  Never before seen workout plan from the mega-successful entertainer and entrepreneur, 50 Cent.

  

  It’s Complicated (But It Doesn’t Have to Be): A Modern Guide to Finding and Keeping Love

  Paul Carrick Brunson (Gotham Books)

  The "Modern Day Matchmaker" presents a refreshingly optimistic and plainspoken dating guide to finding romance-both on- and off-line.

  

  The No Excuse Guide to Success: No Matter What Your Boss or Life Throws at You

  Jim Smith, Jr. (Career Press)

  The No Excuse Guide to Success shows you how to abandon the destructive "blame game" pattern and take total responsibility and accountability for you actions, behaviors, goals and results.

• Outstanding Literary Work - Poetry

  

  Speak Water

  winner

  Truth Thomas (Cherry Castle Publishing)

  Speak Water chronicles the African American quest for love to conquer hate, in the face of racism, without becoming hateful.

  

  Hurrah’s Nest

  Arisa White (Virtual Artists Collective)

  Coming of age story written in verse, Hurrah's Nest is an imaginative and emotionally honest exploration of growing up the second oldest of seven siblings, as part of a family searching for itself inside its wounds, afflictions, and brief triumphs.

  

  Maybe the Saddest Thing

  Marcus Wicker (HarperCollins Publishers (Harper Perennial))

  A winner of the 2011 National Poetry Series Prize as selected by D.A. Powell, Wicker's work perpetuates NPS's tradition of promoting exceptional poetry from lesser known poets.

  

  The Ground

  Rowan Ricardo Phillips (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

  A work of rare beauty and lyric grace, The Ground is an entire world, drawn and revealed through contemplation of the post-9/11 landscape in poetry.

  

  Thrall

  Natasha Trethewey (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

  In a breathtaking experimental series titled "Taxonomy" and in direct and intimate poems about her father, Thrall continues Natasha Trethewey's complicated "taxonomies" of race and lineage in America.

• Outstanding Literary Work - Children

  

  What Color is My World?

  winner

  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Author), Raymond Obstfeld (Author), A.G. Ford (Illustrator) (Candlewick Press)

  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, basketball legend and the NBA's all-time leading scorer, champions a lineup of little-known African-American inventors in this lively, kid-friendly book.

  

  Fifty Cents and a Dream

  Jabari Asim (Author), Bryan Collier (Illustrator) (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)

  After emancipation, with fifty cents in his pocket and a dream in his soul, Booker T. Washington walked hundreds of miles to the Hampton Institute.

  

  Harlem’s Little Blackbird

  Renee Watson (Author), Christian Robinson (Illustrator) (Random House Books for Young Readers (Random House Children's Books))

  Vibrant art sets the stage for this beautiful biography of a little-known Harlem Renaissance star!

  

  In the Land of Milk and Honey

  Joyce Carol Thomas (Author), Floyd Cooper (Illustrator) (HarperCollins / Amistad)

  Coretta Scott King Award winners capture one girl's amazing journey west with her family to a land filled with plenty and promise.

  

  Indigo Blume and the Garden City

  Kwame Alexander (Author), JahSun (Illustrator) (Word of Mouth Books)

  Indigo Blume is a picture book about a nine year old girl in the fictional Garden City who decides to build a rooftop garden to help her community go green.

• Outstanding Literary Work - Youth / Teens

  

  Obama Talks Back: Global Lessons – A Dialogue With America’s Young Leaders

  winner

  Gregory Reed (Amber Books)

  This is an outstanding and historic collection of students' letters accompanied with President Obama's responses, speeches, public statements, and quotations during his campaign, tenure as President-Elect, and his presidency.

  

  Fire in the Streets

  Kekla Magoon (Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing)

  What means more, shared values or shared blood? Maxie's choice changes everything in this acclaimed companion to The Rock and the River.

  

  Pinned

  Sharon G. Flake (Scholastic Press)

  Author, Sharon G. Flake, presents a powerful novel about a teen boy and girl tackling disabilities. Told in alternating voices, "Pinned" explores friendship and what it means to be different.

  

  The Diary of B. B. Bright, Possible Princess

  Alice Randall (Author), Caroline Williams (Author), Shadra Strickland (Illustrator) (Turner Publishing Company)

  A lively tale of one young African American woman's adventure to pass her Official Princess Test, discover a means of escape from her island, and reveal her true destiny.

  

  The Mighty Miss Malone

  Christopher Paul Curtis (Wendy Lamb Books (Random House Children's Books))

  From Newbery-winning author Christopher Paul Curtis, a heart-wrenching, suspenseful novel of one unforgettable family caught up in the turbulent days of the Depression.