Update: The event is sold out. However, you can still watch the panels and the award announcements, as we’ll be streaming the entire ceremony on Facebook Live! Tune in on Thursday, December 8 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. central on our Facebook page.
The Chicago Review of Books—in partnership with Chicago’s independent bookstores—will recognize the best books published in 2016 by writers in the Chicago Metropolitan Area at the first annual Chicago Review of Books Awards (Chirbys, for short).
The winners in each category below will be announced live on December 8 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Volumes Bookcafe in Wicker Park, at a free awards ceremony and book signing that will feature panel conversations between most of the authors in each category about their books, writing process, and Chicago inspirations.
Meet your favorite local writers and discover some great books! Here are the shortlists for each category, along with who’s confirmed to attend.
FICTION (Moderated by Lori Rader-Day)
Jesse Ball, How to Set a Fire and Why
Wesley Chu, Time Siege (attending)
Gina Frangello, Every Kind of Wanting
Abby Geni, The Lightkeepers (attending)
Mary Robinette Kowal, Ghost Talkers (attending)
Christine Sneed, The Virginity of Famous Men
NONFICTION (Moderated by Jonathan Maunder)
Chris Abani, The Face: Cartography of the Void (attending)
Ethan Michaeli, The Defender (attending)
Natalie Yvonne Moore, The South Side (attending)
Toni Nealie, The Miles Between Me (attending)
Mary Wisniewski, Algren: A Life (attending)
Zoe Zolbrod, The Telling (attending)
POETRY (Moderated by Ruben Quesada)
Kevin Coval, 1989: The Number
Nate Marshall, 1989: The Number (attending)
Tony Fitzpatrick, The Secret Birds
Phillip B. Williams, Thief in the Interior (attending)
Abigail Zimmer Christian, child in a winter house brightening (attending)
DEBUT (Moderated by Adam Morgan)
Kim Brooks, The Houseguest (attending)
Jessica Chiarella, And Again (attending)
Maryse Meijer, Heartbreaker: Stories (attending)
Ada Palmer, Too Like the Lightning (attending)
Martin Seay, The Mirror Thief (attending)
T. Sean Steele, Tacky Goblin (attending)
Judges for the 2016 Chicago Review of Books Awards include many representatives from Chicago’s independent bookstores:
- Suzy Takacs, The Book Cellar
- Rebecca George, Volumes Bookcafe
- Thomas Flynn, Volumes Bookcafe
- Timothy Moore, Unabridged Bookstore
- Sara Hollenbeck, Women & Children First
- Jeff Deutsch, Seminary Co-op and 57th Street Books
- Linda Quinde, Seminary Co-op and 57th Street Books
- Wayne Giacalone, RoscoeBooks
As well as members of the Chicago Review of Books and Arcturus magazine editorial and contributing staff:
- Adam Morgan, CHIRB and Arcturus Editor-in-Chief
- Kristen Raddatz, CHIRB Executive Editor
- Lauren Stacks, CHIRB Contributing Editor
- Sara Cutaia, Managing Editor at Arcturus magazine
- Rachel León, Fiction Editor at Arcturus magazine
- Lori Rader-Day, Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning Novelist
- Christina Kloess, CHIRB contributing staff
- Tovah Burstein, CHIRB contributing staff
