Created in 2023, the Inside Literary Prize is a national honor awarded annually by a jury of hundreds of incarcerated readers, founded by Freedom Reads, the National Book Foundation, the Center for Justice Innovation, and Interabang Books co-owner Lori Feathers.
NEW YORK, NY, August 20, 2026 — The Inside Literary Prize, the first and only U.S.-based literary award judged exclusively by incarcerated people, today was awarded to “The Book Censor's Library” by Bothayna Al-Essa, translated from the Arabic by Ranya Abdelrahman and Sawad Hussain (Finalist for the 2024 National Book Award for Translated Literature).
The Inside Literary Prize celebrates the power of literature by amplifying the insight, humanity, and voices of readers living in prison confinement. This year, nearly 200 incarcerated judges participated in the selection process, with over 1,650 books distributed across eleven correctional facilities in Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Washington. Over the prize’s three years, more than 560 incarcerated readers in 35 prisons across 15 states and (the island of) Puerto Rico have participated in the judging process. This year, through group discussions and reflection, participants explored five 2024 National Book Award Finalists in Fiction and Translated Literature and selected “The Book Censor’s Library” as the recipient of the 2026 Prize.
Set in a dystopian future in an unspecified country, “The Book Censor’s Library” explores how authoritarian regimes shrink imagination by policing stories. In a labyrinth of archives, a censor begins to doubt the purpose of banning “dangerous” books, while discovering how even a single redaction can spark quiet rebellion. When language becomes both a weapon and refuge, the forbidden proves unforgettable.
"I think 'The Book Censor's Library' is what the world needs most. Without a core of literature, all voices are lost. If we don't protect our right to choose what matters, history will be rewritten. No one single power should get to choose. Cultural exchange, perspective, and the fostering of ideas will all be stifled without full access to literature,” shared Kyra L., 2026 Inside Literary prize Judge at Washington Corrections Center for Women.
Launched in 2023 by Freedom Reads, the National Book Foundation, and the Center for Justice Innovation, with support from Interabang Books co-owner Lori Feathers, the Inside Literary Prize honors the perspectives incarcerated readers bring to contemporary literature and centers voices too often excluded from cultural conversations. Previous Inside Literary Prize honorees include, “South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation” by Imani Perry (Winner of the 2022 National Book Award for Nonfiction) and “Chain-Gang All-Stars” by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (Finalist of the 2023 National Book Award for Fiction).
“Books have the power to connect us across walls and circumstances,” said Reginald Dwayne Betts, Freedom Reads Founder & CEO. “The Inside Literary Prize brings incarcerated readers into the heart of our literary conversation, reminding us that when we include more voices in conversations about great books, we remind ourselves of literature’s purpose and possibility to bring transformation and hope to people’s lives.”
Each year, incarcerated judges read a shortlist of National Book Award–honored titles curated by a selection committee of incarcerated readers, writers, and Department of Corrections librarians. Finalists for this year’s honor included:
“Ædnan” by Linnea Axelsson translated by Saskia Vogel (Knopf / Penguin Random House)
“All Fours” by Miranda July (Riverhead Books / Penguin Random House)
“Martyr!” by Kaveh Akbar (Knopf / Penguin Random House)
“My Friends” by Hisham Matar (Random House / Penguin Random House)
“The Book Censor’s Library” by Bothayna Al-Essa, translated by Ranya Abdelrahman and Sawad Hussain (Restless Books)
Throughout this year’s judging process, incarcerated voters met with previous National Book Award honorees and Inside Literary Prize finalists including Roger Reeves, Paul Harding, Jamil Jan Kochai, and 2025 Prize winner Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah.
On Thursday, September 3, 2026, the Inside Literary Prize will be presented at The New York Public Library, with the celebration emceed by incarcerated judges through recorded video messages. The event reaffirms Freedom Reads' broader mission to transform prison spaces through the power of literature. To date, the organization has built nearly 700 Freedom Libraries and delivered more than 280,000 books to readers in prisons across the United States, creating spaces of hope, belonging, and freedom behind prison walls.
About Center for Justice Innovation: The Center for Justice Innovation is a community justice organization that centers safety and racial justice. Since our founding in 1996, the Center has partnered with community members, courts, and the people most impacted to create stronger, healthier, more just communities. Our decades of experience in courts and communities, coupled with our field-leading research and practitioner expertise, help us drive justice nationwide in innovative, powerful, and durable ways. For more information on how and where we work, please visit www.innovatingjustice.org.
About National Book Foundation: The mission of the National Book Foundation, presenter of the National Book Awards, is to celebrate the best literature published in the United States, connect books with readers of all ages, and champion the literary arts as a vital part of our culture. The Foundation approaches this work from four programmatic angles: Awards & Honors recognize exceptional authors, advocates, and books; Education initiatives foster a lifelong passion for books in young readers; Public Programs bring acclaimed writers and translators to communities nationwide to engage in conversations and showcase the power of literature as a tool for understanding our world; and Service to the Literary Field, to advocate for a thriving literary ecosystem. Information on all of the Foundation’s programs and the Awards can be found online at nationalbook.org.
About Interabang Books: Located in Dallas, Texas, Interabang Books is an independent bookstore featuring a broad range of titles for all ages from bestsellers and classics to curated selections by small publishers.