Inside Literary Prize awarded to Imani Perry

The first major U.S. book prize judged exclusively by incarcerated people

August 5, 2024 Robert Abruzzese, Courthouse Editor

Imani Perry, author of “South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation,” was awarded the inaugural Inside Literary Prize. Photo: Beowulf Sheehan, courtesy of the Center for Justice Innovation.

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Imani Perry’s “South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation” was awarded the inaugural Inside Literary Prize for its insightful exploration of the cultural and historical complexities of the American South, offering a profound and nuanced perspective that resonates deeply with readers.

One group of those readers is the incarcerated individuals who judged the prize as part of the Inside Literary Prize. That contest was judged exclusively by more than 200 incarcerated people, and on Friday, they awarded Perry a hand-crafted trophy and $4,860, symbolizing five years of work at 54 cents per hour, the wage earned by Freedom Reads Founder and CEO Reginald Dwayne Betts when he was incarcerated.

The award was determined by the votes of more than 200 incarcerated individuals across the nation, a collaborative effort by Freedom Reads, the National Book Foundation, the Center for Justice Innovation, and Dallas bookstore owner Lori Feathers.

The ceremony, held in the Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III Trustees Room at the New York Public Library, featured authors, advocates, and judges who spoke about the significance of literature in the lives of incarcerated people.

“Being a judge … just meant a lot for me,” said Chelsea, a judge from the Minnesota Correctional Facility, Shakopee. “It meant that my voice mattered because, for the last four and a half years, my voice hasn’t mattered. I got to be Chelsea. I wasn’t just my number.”

Perry, upon receiving the prize, said, “In this honor, I renew my sense of responsibility to the millions of people incarcerated and under state supervision. Not as a matter of charity, but rather out of the deepest respect for the insight that comes from seeing society from the corners that it keeps hidden.”

The shortlist for the award included “The Rabbit Hutch” by Tess Gunty, “The Haunting of Hajji Hotak and Other Stories” by Jamil Jan Kochai, “South to America” by Imani Perry and “Best Barbarian” by Roger Reeves. The selection committee, comprising incarcerated readers, writers, and Department of Corrections librarians, chose these four books from the finalists and winners of the 2022 National Book Awards.

Andrea Smith, senior librarian for the Minnesota Department of Corrections, praised the dedication of the incarcerated judges.

“These reflections are hard-earned. These women showed up … did the work for themselves and for their peers. They didn’t just read a set of four books and cast a ballot. They read, and they discussed with specificity, and then they had more questions, so they re-read and came together again and debated.”

The Inside Literary Prize aims to expand access to literature for incarcerated individuals, providing them with an opportunity to engage deeply with thought-provoking works. This prize not only acknowledges the intellectual engagement and critical thinking fostered through reading but also highlights the perspective of incarcerated readers.