North Carolina’s rich literary tradition will be celebrated Dec. 4 as the 2026 North Carolina Book Awards are presented during the annual meeting of the NC Literary and Historical Association at 109 E Jones St in Raleigh. The ceremony begins at 1 pm in the ground-floor auditorium and is free and open to the public. The annual awards recognize significant works by North Carolina writers.

Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle, winner of the 2021 Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award for her novel “Even As We Breathe,” will deliver the keynote address.

Since its founding in September 1900, the NC Literary and Historical Association has worked to stimulate the production of literature and collect and preserve North Carolina’s historical resources. The Office of Archives and History is within the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and administers the North Carolina Book Awards program.

All activities are open to NC Literary and Historical Association members and members of the public and are free of charge. However, an RSVP email sent to Parker Backstrom, the association’s assistant secretary, at parker.backstrom@dncr.nc.gov to confirm attendance is appreciated.

Read the full press release here.