Presenting the Jurors for the 2026 Lillian Smith Book Awards

 

 

The Southern Regional Council (SRC), founded in 1919 to combat racial injustice, established the Lillian Smith Book Awards in 1966 to recognize writing which extends the legacy of the outspoken writer who challenged all Americans on issues of social and racial justice.

Since 2004 the awards have been presented by SRC in a partnership with the University of Georgia Libraries, whose Hargrett Rare Book and manuscript Library houses a historic collection of Lillian Smith's letters and manuscripts. Since 2007 this partnership has also included Georgia Center for the Book. Since 2016, this partnership has included Piedmont College, which operates the Lillian Smith Center in Clayton, Georgia. Excerpts from recent awards ceremonies may be viewed by reviewing previous articles on this site and by clicking on the images on the right side of this page. 

The jurors for 2025, selected by the various partnering organizations, were recently announced. 

Joining the jury for the first time this year is Jacqueline Allen Trimble. Dr. Trimble is  a professor of English and chairs the Department of Languages and Literatures at Alabama State University.  Her work has appeared in various online and print publications including  Poetry Magazine, Poet Lore, The Offing, The Louisville Review,  and Blue Lake Review.  American Happiness (2016), her first collection, published by New South Books, won the Balcones Poetry Prize.  How to Survive the Apocalypse, her new collection, debuted in August 2022. She was recently named Poet Laureate of Alabama.

Melvin N. Johnson previously served as President and Professor of Economics at  Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tennessee. He previously served as Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Winston-Salem State University; Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, CIO, Interim Dean and Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Business Administration at  North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University; Special Lecturer on Business and Economic Policy at the University of Maryland; and  Assistant Professor of Economics at the United States Air Force Academy.

James Taylor has managed the Atlanta Fulton Public Library’s Buckhead Branch and hosted the System’s Writers in Focus, “a meet-the-author” television show produced by Fulton County Television (FGTV) .  He previously managed the Library Express Department, the Circulation Department, and the Ivan Allen Reference Department.

Also rejoining the jury this year is Merryl Penson, who has served as Executive Director of Library Services for the Georgia Board of Regents.

Joining the jury again this year is Winifred Johnson, Assistant Professor of History and International Studies at Bethune-Cookman University. 

The 2026 Lillian Smith Book Awards will be presented at the Decatur Public Library in the Fall of 2026.