Dayton Literary Peace Prize Winners Have Been Announced
The annual awards honored authors whose work promotes global peace and mutual understanding.
Updated on Sept. 20, 2026 in Awards
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The Dayton Literary Peace Prizes recently recognized writers in the fiction and nonfiction categories for their contributions to peace literature. Ann Patchett was also honored with a lifetime achievement award during the ceremony.
Why it matters
These awards highlight the power of literature to foster reconciliation and understanding. By selecting books that address complex histories, the Dayton Foundation aims to elevate narratives that challenge readers to consider the human condition.
Category winners each receive $10,000 in prize money, while runners-up are awarded $5,000 each. The honors are selected based on the literary work's ability to promote peace and understanding.
The players
Sam Wachman
He is the author who won the fiction category prize for his book titled The Sunflower Boys.
Kevin Sack
He is the author who won the nonfiction category prize for his book about the history and forgiveness at a Charleston church.
Ann Patchett
She is a renowned author who received the lifetime achievement award from the foundation.
The details
Sam Wachman claimed the fiction prize for his work on Ukraine, The Sunflower Boys, while Kevin Sack took the nonfiction title for his historical account of a Charleston church. Charlotte McConaghy and Eve L. Ewing were identified as this year's runners-up.
Timeline
The Dayton Literary Peace Prizes were established in 2006.
The 2015 shooting at a Charleston church inspired the winning nonfiction subject.
The winners were officially announced in September 2026.
Culture Shift
This year's winners continue the two-decade mission established by the founding of the Dayton Literary Peace Prizes in 2006. The awards reflect a broader cultural shift toward prioritizing literature that engages with international reconciliation.
Readers in Dayton can look forward to upcoming opportunities to engage with this year's winning authors and their works. These selections provide concrete recommendations for those seeking books that offer historical and humanitarian perspective.
The takeaway
Literature remains a vital tool for examining the path from past trauma to current reconciliation. Readers can implement this insight by exploring the winning titles to gain a deeper perspective on global and local conflicts.
Further reading
Discover more about the local literary community and upcoming events in the Awards section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WCIV.
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