The Poetry Shortlist for the 2019 Chicago Review of Books Award

For the fourth year in a row, the Chicago Review of Books Award for Poetry (in partnership with Story Studio) will recognize the best poetry books published by Chicago-based poets in the 2019 calendar year.

Below are this year’s five finalists, along with this year’s judges. Congrats to past winners Abigail Zimmer Christian, Eve Ewing, and José Olivarez.

Later this week we will announce the shortlist for nonfiction, fiction, and stand-alone essay or short story. We will also announce the recipient of a new award, the Adam Morgan Literary Citizen Award, named for our founding editor and given to a tireless advocate of Chicago literature.

The winners in each category will be announced at a ceremony on December 6th at Ravenswood Events Center in Chicago. Tickets are on sale now! Choose from a “Golden Ticket” VIP Option, or General Admission. All funds raised will help support The Story Matters Foundation and the Chicago Review of Books. Hope to see you there!

2019 POETRY FINALISTS

Halal If You Hear Me
Edited by Fatimah Asghar and Safia Elhillo
Haymarket Books

Everything Must Go
By Kevin Coval; Illustrated by Langston Allston
Haymarket Books

water/tongue
By mai c. doan
Omnidawn

1919
By Eve Ewing
Haymarket Books

neckbone: visual verses
By avery r. young
Northwestern University Press

2019 Judges

Judges for the 2019 Chicago Review of Books Awards include the Chicago Review of Books‘s editorial staff and many representatives from Chicago’s independent bookstores:

• Suzy Takacs, The Book Cellar
• Rebecca George, Volumes Bookcafe
• Thomas Flynn, Volumes Bookcafe
• Sarah Hollenbeck, Women & Children First
• Jeff Deutsch, Seminary Co-op and 57th Street Books
• Wayne Giacalone, RoscoeBooks
• DL Mullen, Semicolon Bookstore & Gallery
• Adam Morgan, CHIRB Founding Editor
• Amy Brady, CHIRB Editor-in-Chief
• Todd Van Luling, CHIRB Managing Editor
• Jordan Foti Gulino, CHIRB Daily Editor
• Sara Cutaia, Editor-in-Chief at Arcturus Magazine and CHIRB Editor-at-Large (judge for best essay or short story only)
• Taylor Moore, Fiction Editor at Arcturus Magazine and CHIRB contributor 
• Aram Mrjoian, CHIRB Editor-at-Large
• Rachel León, CHIRB contributing staff