Joshua Trent Brown Wins Fiction Honor at NC Book Awards
The 2026 North Carolina Book Awards and the N.C. Literary and Historical Association announced their honorees, with the ceremony set for Dec. 4 in Raleigh.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Books
The North Carolina Book Awards and the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association announced their 2026 honorees. Joshua Trent Brown won the Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction for "The Walls Are Closing in on Us."
Why it matters
The awards recognize writing with North Carolina ties across fiction, nonfiction, poetry and young people's literature. Nominations rose this year, with 30 books entered for fiction, up from 17.
Fiction nominations rose to 30 books from 17, nonfiction to 27 from 21, and poetry to 25 from 19 year over year. The source does not indicate total submission counts or how many entries were received before the nominee lists were set.
The players
North Carolina Literary and Historical Association
A statewide organization founded in September 1900 that promotes North Carolina history and literature and co-presents the state's book awards.
Office of Archives and History
The state agency that administers the North Carolina Book Awards as part of its work preserving and promoting state history.
Joshua Trent Brown
An author from Cerro Gordo whose debut novel "The Walls Are Closing in on Us" won the Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction.
Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle
A writer from Cherokee who received the George Moses Horton Memorial Award for significant contributions to North Carolina literature.
The details
Winners were named across fiction, nonfiction, poetry, middle-grade and picture-book categories, along with lifetime honors and a dramatic arts award. The awards are presented during the association's annual meeting at 109 E. Jones St. in Raleigh, and the ceremony is free and open to the public.
Timeline
September 1900: The North Carolina Literary and Historical Association was founded.
March 2026: Joshua Trent Brown's debut novel was published.
Dec. 4, 2026, 1 p.m.: The 2026 North Carolina Book Awards ceremony takes place in Raleigh.
Legacy Recognition
The North Carolina Book Awards, administered by the Office of Archives and History, continue an annual cycle of honoring state writers. This year's larger nominee pools across fiction, nonfiction and poetry extend that tradition.
The ceremony is free and open to the public, giving readers in Raleigh a direct opportunity to attend the presentations. Readers across North Carolina can look for the winning titles in fiction, nonfiction, poetry and children's literature.
The takeaway
Honorees range from debut novelists to longtime state historians, offering readers a broad entry point into North Carolina writing. Checking the full winners list can point to new books by local authors.
What happens next
The 2026 North Carolina Book Awards ceremony will be held Dec. 4, 2026, at 1 p.m. in the ground-floor auditorium at 109 E. Jones St. in Raleigh, and is free and open to the public.
Further reading
Explore more North Carolina writing in our Books section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Port City Daily.
