Since 1935, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards have recognized important contributions to our understanding of the diversity of human cultures. Today it remains the only American book prize focusing on works that address racism and diversity.  On April 19, 2012, the Cleveland Foundation announced the 2012 winners:
Esi Edugyan, Half-Blood Blues: A Novel. Fiction
David Blight, American Oracle: The Civil War in the Civil Rights Era. Nonfiction
David Livingstone Smith, Less Than Human: Why We Demean, Enslave, and Exterminate Others. Nonfiction
Wole Soyinka, Lifetime Achievement

The Anisfield-Wolf winners will be honored in Cleveland on Sept. 13, 2012, at a ceremony at the Ohio Theatre hosted by the Cleveland Foundation and emceed by Jury Chair Henry Louis Gates. For more information, go to www.anisfield-wolf.org. 
 

A total of 1,360 entries from Ohio were submitted to the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress during the 2012-2013 Letters About Literature contest. Out of the 835 Level I (grades 4-6) letters that had been received, 77 were ultimately sent to the Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library for evaluation. Out of the 443 Level II (grades 7-9) letters that had been submitted, 49 were mailed to the Ohio Center for the book for judging purposes. From out of a total of 82 Level III (grades 9-10), 22 had been selected by the Library of Congress staff and delivered to the Ohio judges for consideration. The panel of volunteers who served as judges this year were: 

• Felton Thomas, Jr., the Executive Director and CEO of the Cleveland Public Library
• John Skrtic, Director of Public Relations, Cleveland Public Library
• Annisha Jeffries, Manager, Youth Services Department, Cleveland Public Library
• Sherri Jones, Literacy and Education Coordinator, Outreach and Programming Services, Cleveland Public Library
• Tracy Martin, Grants & Development Coordibnator, Cleveland Public Library    
• Janet Ingrham Dwyer, Library Consultant, State Library of Ohio
• Linda Hengst, Executive Director, Ohioana Library Association
• Karen Long, Books Editor
• Linda Feagler, Ohio Magazine
• Nancy Roe Pimm, author of Colo's Story: The Life of One Grand Gorilla, an incredible true story that was selected as a Choose to Read Ohio (CTRO) title for for 2013 and 2014 by the State Library of Ohio and the Ohioana Library Association. 

The daughter of Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, Carrie Fisher became a cultural icon in her own right at the age of 19, when she starred as Princess Leia in the Star Wars trilogy. In WISHFUL DRINKING, she tells the true and intoxicating tale of her life as a Hollywood legend - with all the wry wit she poured into such bestsellers as - in an uproarious and sobering look at her "Hollywood hangover." From stardom to divorce, re-marriage to the death of a close friend, addiction to mental illness, Fisher recounts her peaks and valleys with unfailing candor and biting humor, referring to celebrity as just "obscurity biding its time." The VictoriaTheatre in Dayton (138 N. Main St., Dayton, Ohio 45402 | (937) 228-7591 | info@victoriatheatre.com) is hosting the show which runs till Tuesday, April 22, 2012.

On Friday and Saturday September 28th and 29th, 2012, the Central Ohio Fiction Writers will present its annual Writers and Readers Conference at the Worthington, Ohio Holiday Inn. Conference Fees for COFW Members is $125 (COFW members can register early after May 1, 2012). Non-members will need to pay $140 and can register anytime after May 15, 2012.

• Simone Elkeles will be the keynote speaker. Ms. Elkeles is the NY Times & USA Today bestselling author of over seven teen romance novels. She has won various awards and recognition for her books, including the coveted RITA award from the Romance Writers of America for her book Perfect Chemistry and for being named Author of the Year by the Illinois Association of Teachers of English.
• Kristin Higgins will be the Award Luncheon Speaker. Ms. Higgins is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of Contemporary Romance Novels and a two-time winner of RWA's Rita award.
• Joanna Bourne will be the Featured Craft Speaker. Ms. Bourne is a nationally bestselling author who, like Ms. Higgins, has also won two Rita's.
• Kristin Nelson--the President and Senior Literary Agent of Nelson Literary Agency (NLA)--will also be in attendance as will Whitney Ross of TOR/Forge Publishing.