Humanities Tennessee Announces 2025 Tennessee Book Award Winners
Humanities Tennessee (HT) today announced the winners of the 2025 Tennessee Book Awards. They are: Vic Sizemore (Maryville) in fiction for God of River Mud; Jared Sullivan (Franklin) in non-fiction for Valley So Low: One Lawyer’s Fight for Justice in the Wake of America’s Great Coal Catastrophe; and Didi Jackson (Nashville) in poetry for My Infinity: Poems.
“Until 2024, Tennessee did not have an annual award recognizing excellence in fiction, non-fiction, and poetry by Tennessee residents. In this second year of the TN Book Awards, we’re proud of these honorees as selected by our nationally-known finalist judges,” said Tim Henderson, Executive Director, Humanities Tennessee.
Three esteemed authors served as the finalist judges: Rebecca Makkai in fiction, Chris Offutt in non-fiction, and Richard Blanco in poetry respectively. Prior to their reading, a statewide panel of teachers, librarians, and Humanities Tennessee board members reviewed initial applications and selected three finalists in each category.
The finalist judges and authors offered insights about each book that readers may appreciate.
Fiction
“I was immediately swept away by God of River Mud, a layered, nuanced and often harrowing story of people ill-used by religious structures both internal and external—but a story that offers humor along the way and, ultimately, well-earned joy,” said Makkai.
From Vic Sizemore, “This recognition from Humanities Tennessee is a great honor and fills me with delight, gives me good reason to take Jack Gilbert’s advice and accept gladness in the ruthless furnace of this world.”
Non-Fiction
Of Sullivan’s Valley So Low, Offutt shared, “Impeccably researched and beautifully written, Valley So Low is a crucial book for these uncertain times. Everyone should read it.”
“I’m honored that Valley So Low received this incredible award,” Sullivan said. “I wrote the book to show how anti-worker legislation and backward environmental policies can wreck the lives of everyday Tennesseans, and I’m forever grateful that the Kingston cleanup workers trusted me to tell their story to that end.”
Photo by Mackenzie Wray
Poetry
Blanco shared his insights of Jackson’s work, “A remarkable book, not only for the phenomenal texture and musicality of its language, but equally for its stunning imagery and metaphorical constructs.”
“I am honored and grateful to know that My Infinity was chosen from many other books of poetry by poets I admire and highly regard here in Tennessee, and that by being granted this award, I am able to bring attention to women artists and writers whose work has historically and often intentionally been overlooked and forgotten,” said Jackson.
Photo by Sarah White
The award recipient in each category receives a cash prize of $2,500 and will be recognized at community events in their hometowns of Maryville, Franklin, and Nashville.
“HT has long prioritized the literary life of Tennessee through programs like the Southern Festival of Books and Chapter16.org. The addition of the Tennessee Book Award will preserve the legacy of Tennessee writers and ensure their work is known for years to come,” said Serenity Gerbman, Director of Literature and Language Programs, Humanities Tennessee.
Finalists for the 2025 awards in each category were:
- Fiction: Rea Frey, In Every Life and Jeff Zentner, Colton Gentry’s Third Act
- Non-Fiction: Anne Byrn, Baking in the American South: 200 Recipes and Their Untold Stories, and Jonathan Metzl, What We’ve Become: Living and Dying in a Country of Arms
- Poetry: Christian Collier, Greater Ghost: Poems, and Tara Stringfellow, Magic Enuff: Poetry
The second annual prizes are awarded to books published in the calendar year 2024. Authors must live in Tennessee to be eligible. The submission form and additional information about criteria may be found here and will be updated by December 1, 2025, for the 2026 awards.