Authors To Read from Their Works in A Special Event on September 19
BROOKLYN, NY—Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) has announced the shortlist for the 2025 Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize. The nominees for the prize are selected by staff and librarians who have extensive knowledge of contemporary writing and of the borough’s avid reading community.
“The 2025 Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize celebrates writers, poets and journalists who capture the culture and ethos of our borough. Despite being set across the globe, the titles on this year’s shortlist center on themes that define Brooklyn: cross-cultural dialogue, immigration, technological advancement and artistic expression,” said Linda E. Johnson, President and CEO, Brooklyn Public Library.
In the fiction category, the selections are:
The Volcano Daughters by Gina María Balibrera
Hum by Helen Phillips
In Universes by Emet North
In the nonfiction category, the selections are:
Forest of Noise: Poems by Mosab Abu Toha
Life and Death of the American Worker: The Immigrants Taking on America's Largest Meatpacking Company by Alice Driver
Survival Is a Promise: The Eternal Life of Audre Lorde by Alexis Pauline Gumbs
The six shortlisted authors will be in conversation with BPL Librarian and Prize Chair, Jess Harwick, on September 19 at Central Library. The program is free to attend and all are welcome.
The Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize was established in 2015 by the Brooklyn Eagles, a group of young and engaged Brooklynites who are passionate about Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) and work to engage new patrons and build a vibrant community around the resources the library offers. Past winners include Kaveh Akbar, Blair L.M. Kelley, Catherine Lacey, Lamya H, Xochitl Gonzalez, Threa Almontaser, Carmen Maria Machado, Ocean Voung and Miriam Toews.
About Brooklyn Public Library
Brooklyn Public Library is one of the nation’s largest library systems and among New York City’s most democratic institutions. As a leader in developing modern 21st century libraries, we provide resources to support personal advancement, foster civic literacy, and strengthen the fabric of community among the more than 2.6 million individuals who call Brooklyn home. We provide nearly 65,000 free programs a year with writers, thinkers, artists, and educators—from around the corner and around the world. And we give patrons millions of opportunities to enjoy one of life’s greatest satisfactions: the joy of a good book.