Incarcerated Readers to Judge New Literary Prize
Freedom Reads, the National Book Foundation, and the Center for Justice Innovation have announced the launch of the Inside Literary Prize, which will be judged by a jury of incarcerated individuals. The jury will consist of up to 25 inmates at each of 12 participating facilities across six states.
The Inside Literary Prize is the first of its kind in the U.S. and is modeled after France's "inmate Goncourt" prize, an offshoot of the country's most prestigious book prize.
The four nominees for the inaugural prize—chosen by a Selection Committee comprising incarcerated readers, writers, and Departments of Corrections librarians—are Tess Gunty's The Rabbit Hutch, Jamil Jan Kochai's The Haunting of Hajji Hotak and Other Stories, Imani Perry's South to America, and Roger Reeves's Best Barbarian. The winner will be announced in June 2024.
