Announcing the Winner of the 2020 Adam Morgan Literary Citizen Award

For five years in a row the Chicago Review of Books has presented annual awards to the best works of poetry, nonfiction, fiction, and essay or short-story by Chicago-based writers. Last year we announced the first ever Adam Morgan Literary Citizen Award.

Named for the site’s founding editor, the Morgan award is given to a person who has made outstanding contributions to Chicago’s literary scene. The recipient is chosen by Adam, and the award is presented at our annual ceremony.

This year, we are thrilled to announce that the Morgan award goes to D.L. Mullen, founder of Semicolon, a bookstore-gallery hybrid and a place for visitors to enjoy both books and visual art.

We interviewed Mullen in 2019, shortly after Semicolon opened. Since then, the bookstore has become a staple of literary Chicago. “Semicolon has become a vital community space thanks to D.L. Mullen’s leadership,” said Morgan. “Her support for readers, artists, students, poets, and writers is unparalleled. She’s redefining what a bookstore can be in the 21st century, and it’s a beautiful thing to see.”

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Please join us in a virtual celebration of Mullen and the Chicago writers who make the city a literary epicenter on December 3rd. Tickets can be purchased here.