Humanities Tennessee

Humanities Tennessee is proud to recognize the finalists for the 2026 Tennessee Book Awards, for books published in 2025. These finalists were selected by a panel of librarians and teachers from across the state. The Fiction winner will be chosen by novelist Geraldine Brooks, winner of the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her novel, March.

The finalists are:

Robert Busby’s Bodock, a short story collection by a Memphis writer, set in the Mississippi Delta and winner of the 2024 C. Michael Curtis Short Story Prize.
David Wesley Williams’ Come Again No More, a novel that follows a seasoned reporter through the changing world of local newspapers. Williams lives in Memphis and has published novels and short stories.
Kevin Wilson’s Run for the Hills, a sibling road trip novel whose search for their father raises universal questions about who we are in our families, and how they made us. Wilson is a professor at the University of the South – Sewanee.

This past Saturday, our Director of Development attended the Nashville Black Literacy Coalition Summit held at American Baptist College. MNPS, TSU, Vanderbilt libraries, community leaders and nonprofits were all in attendance. Her favorite part of the event was viewing the Community Resource Map (https://bit.ly/NBLCMap), which shows afterschool programs, public wi-fi locations, little free libraries and more.

This number represents so much more than just a milestone, it represents the incredible support and belief you have in the Humanities. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for showing up.

⏳ ONE WEEK days left to help Humanities Tennessee reach our $25,000 spring goal.

Raised so far: $21,805
Still needed: $3,195

Deadline: June 18

The future we build begins with you. Don’t wait.
👉 Donate: https://linktr.ee/HumanitiesTennessee