The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards recognizes outstanding works that contribute to our understanding of racism and our appreciation of cultural diversity.
For any book published this year, the submission period begins September 1 and the deadline is December 31, 2022. The winners are announced in the spring, and awards will be given for fiction, poetry and nonfiction.
Who We Are
For 86 years, the distinguished books earning Anisfield-Wolf prizes have opened and challenged our minds. Cleveland poet and philanthropist Edith Anisfield Wolf established the book awards in 1935, in honor of her father, John Anisfield, and husband, Eugene Wolf, to reflect her family’s passion for social justice.
The Cleveland Foundation, the world’s first community foundation, has administered the Anisfield-Wolf prize since 1963. Before then, the Saturday Review sponsored the awards. From the early 1960s until 1996, internationally renowned anthropologist and author Ashley Montagu chaired the awards jury. That panel of globally prominent scholars and writers has since been overseen by Henry Louis Gates Jr., the acclaimed scholar, lecturer, social critic, writer, and editor
Who Can Apply
- Books must be written in English and published and copyrighted in 2022 to be eligible for the 2023 prize.
- Awards are given in fiction, poetry and nonfiction.
- All submitted materials become the property of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards and will not be returned.
- The deadline for submission is December 31. Entries arriving after the deadline must be postmarked by December 31 to be eligible.
- The following are NOT eligible for consideration:
- Plays
- Screenplays
- Works in progress
- Manuscripts
- Print-on-demand
- Electronically published or e-books
- Self-published works
For Publishers – Prizes and Recognition
- Anisfield-Wolf winners receive their prize at a ceremony in Cleveland in September.
- Award recipients traditionally receive $10,000 from the Anisfield-Wolf fund.
- Winners are required to participate in media interviews and publicity opportunities in conjunction with the prize.
- Publishers are encouraged to congratulate their winners in advertisements and via social media.
- Publishers are encouraged to mention the Anisfield-Wolf prize in new editions, general publicity and web posts about their winning authors.
What to take note of
To submit a book for consideration, send five copies with a completed copy of the Entry Form to:
Karen R. Long
c/o Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards
The Cleveland Foundation
1422 Euclid Avenue, Suite 1608
Cleveland, OH 44115
You may also scan the entry form to the email address below. Receipt will be acknowledged. The books will be forwarded to the jury.
Phone: 216.685.2018
Email: Submit@Anisfield-Wolf.org
Upon receipt, the books will be forwarded to the jury. All submitted materials become the property of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards and will not be returned. No electronic submissions of an author’s work of any kind are accepted.
Download Entry Form