Stories Matter Foundation presents the 7th Annual CHIRBy Awards, a ceremony honoring the “literary gold” writers of Chicago.
Back in-person, and back at the original host site of Volumes Bookcafe, we’re honored to co-host these awards on December 8, 2022.
See below for the list of nominees, also published on the CHIRB site.
All donations from the evening will go to support the Chicago Review of Books.
Stories Matter Foundation is the parent organization of StoryStudio Chicago, the Chicago Review of Books, and Chicago Stories Project. We build communities of storytellers trained to question, explore, celebrate, and change their worlds using the power of story.
THE NOMINEES FOR THE FICTION CATEGORY ARE:
- The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan
- Marrying the Ketchups by Jennifer Close
- Cyclorama by Adam Langer
- Mount Chicago by Adam Levin
- Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe
THE NOMINEES FOR THE POETRY CATEGORY ARE:
- Against Heaven by Kemi Alabi
- Refuse to Disappear by Tara Betts
- A Hundred Lovers by Richie Hoffmann
- There are Trans People Here by H. Melt
- oh, you thought this was a date?! by C. Russell Price
THE NOMINEES FOR THE NONFICTION CATEGORY ARE:
- Autoportrait by Jesse Ball
- Energy Never Dies: Afro-Optimism and Creativity in Chicago by Ayana Contreras
- The Emergency: A Year of Healing and Heartbreak in a Chicago ER by Thomas Fisher
- Cost of Living by Emily Maloney
- Crying in the Bathroom: A Memoir by Erika L Sanchez
THE NOMINEES FOR STORY OR ESSAY ARE:
- “Aging in the shadows: A crisis of older undocumented workers awaits Illinois” by Carlos Ballesteros & Laura Rodriguez Presa in Chicago Tribune/Injustice Watch
- “It’s quiet around here until it’s not” by Salem Collo-Julin in Chicago Reader
- “Disciplining Your Toddler at the End of the World” by Julia Fine in TIME
- “Black women, femmes, and girls must be included in police violence narratives” by Tonia Hill in The TRiiBE
- “From Playgrounds to Policing” by Oenone Kubie in South Side Weekly
Adam Morgan Literary Leadership Award
Named after the Chicago Review of Books‘ founder, Adam Morgan, the Adam Morgan Literary Leadership Award is given to a person who has made outstanding contributions to Chicago’s literary scene. This year’s recipient is Jeff Deutsch.
“I’d love to present this year’s award to Jeff Deutsch, for his leadership at the Seminary Co-op, his forthcoming republishing of Leon Forrest’s Divine Days, his advocacy for independent bookselling (including his own book), and his support for the entire Chicago literary community.”