The Inside Literary Prize is the first US literary prize awarded by incarcerated people.
Bringing incarcerated people to the forefront of cultural conversations, the power of books is used to celebrate our shared humanity. Watch this video to learn more about the Prize and hear directly from the judges at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility about what it means to them.
Thank you to the women of Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for sharing their time and insightful opinions, and 92NY for their generous access to their space for Reginald Dwayne Betts’ interview.
A collaboration between Freedom Reads, the National Book Foundation, and the Center for Justice Innovation, with support from Interabang Books co-owner and podcaster Lori Feathers, the second annual Inside Literary Prize was awarded to Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah by a jury of over 300 incarcerated people on July 10 at an award ceremony at The New York Public Library.
Learn more about the Inside Literary Prize here.