American writer Hanif Abdurraqib has been named the recipient of the 2026 Weston International Award, which comes with a cash prize of $75,000. This prestigious award complements the Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction, an annual recognition given to a Canadian writer for a single nonfiction work. The Weston International Award acknowledges the outstanding career achievements of an international author in the field of nonfiction. To be eligible, international authors must have published at least three books of exceptional literary quality in English or widely available translations.
Abdurraqib, a poet, essayist, and cultural critic, is renowned for his insightful commentary on music, sports, Black culture, and social justice. His notable works include “There’s Always This Year,” which delves into basketball, race relations, and American society, earning him the National Books Critics Circle Award. Additionally, his book “A Little Devil in America,” focusing on Black performance, received the Carnegie Medal, while “They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us” is a collection of music-infused essays. Abdurraqib is also the author of poetry collections such as “The Crown Ain’t Worth Much” and “A Fortune for Your Disaster.”
Recognized for his literary contributions, Abdurraqib was a recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship in 2021 and the Windham-Campbell Prize in 2024. Hailing from Columbus, Ohio, he was selected as the winner of the Weston International Award by an esteemed international advisory committee and a Canadian jury, comprising distinguished individuals in the literary field.
The jury praised Abdurraqib’s unique ability to capture the essence of Black life through the intersections of performance, music, and sports in his work. They lauded his distinctive voice in addressing societal issues and amplifying marginalized perspectives. Abdurraqib’s upcoming appearance at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto on September 14 will offer an opportunity for audiences to engage with his career and literary endeavors.
In the previous year, American author Leslie Jamison was the recipient of the Weston International Award. The Writers’ Trust of Canada, established in 1976 by literary luminaries like Margaret Atwood and Pierre Berton, is dedicated to supporting and celebrating Canadian writers through various initiatives, including literary awards, grants, and programs for emerging talents.
