The first U.S. book prize judged by incarcerated individuals has announced its inaugural winner: Imani Perry for her book, “South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation.”
Launched in December 2023, the Inside Literary Prize involved over 200 incarcerated individuals voting on the shortlisted works. The award was created in collaboration with Freedom Reads, the National Book Foundation, the Center for Justice Innovation, and Dallas bookstore owner Lori Feathers.
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Reginald Dwayne Betts, Founder & CEO of Freedom Reads, emphasized the transformative power of literature for incarcerated individuals. He highlighted how reading and judging literary works provides a national platform for incarcerated individuals to participate in cultural conversations, an initiative that Freedom Reads is proud to support.
The winner was announced on August 1 during a ceremony in New York, with Betts serving as emcee. Judges from 12 prisons across the country participated via video streaming, sharing their perspectives on the importance of their role. Chelsea, a judge from the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Shakopee, expressed how being a judge made her feel that her voice mattered after years of feeling voiceless.
Imani Perry expressed a deep sense of responsibility and respect for incarcerated individuals in her acceptance speech, recognizing their unique insights and wisdom. She emphasized the importance of acknowledging the intellectual life behind bars.
“In this honor, I renew my sense of responsibility to the millions of people incarcerated and under state supervision,” Perry said. “Not as a matter of charity, but rather out of the deepest respect for the insight that comes from seeing society from the corners that it keeps hidden. And for the wisdom of those whom it keeps out of view. But most of all, out of care for those in the grasp of confinement.”
She concluded by recognizing the importance of readers and intellectual engagement within the incarcerated community. She extended her solidarity and respect to those inside, affirming that they are included in her references to “we” and “my people.”
Perry’s book, published in 2022, blends memoir and travelogue, detailing her journey and personal history in the American South. The $4,860 prize she received is significant, representing the equivalent of five years of prison labor at 54 cents an hour, the wage Betts earned while working at his prison’s library.
The judging process included discussions led by representatives from the sponsoring organizations at each prison, followed by a vote on the prize winner. The shortlist featured Tess Gunty’s “The Rabbit Hutch,” Jamil Jan Kochai’s “The Haunting of Hajji Hotak and Other Stories,” and Roger Reeves’ “Best Barbarian.”
