The Dayton Literary Peace Prize winners for 2024 have been announced the 2024 winners. The Prize recognises outstanding works that promote peace and social justice through literature.

Established in 2006 in Dayton, Ohio, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize was inspired by the city’s history as the site of the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords, which ended the Bosnian War. It remains one of the few literary awards focusing on peace and reconciliation themes.

Each year, the prize recognizes authors in fiction and nonfiction categories whose work highlights humanity’s capacity for empathy, conflict resolution, and positive social change. Winners receive a cash prize and are honoured at a ceremony in Dayton. The award has recognized notable authors such as: 

• Ta-Nehisi Coates,
• Viet Thanh Nguyen,
• and Colum McCann,

whose works have shed light on pressing global issues like war, migration, and racial justice.

Read: How to Write About a Theme. 

The 2024 Dayton Literary Peace Prize Winners are:

Prophet Song by Paul Lynch  for Fiction

The Postcard by Anne Berest named Fiction runner-up

Built from the Fire by Victor Luckerson for Nonfiction

Red Memory by Tania Branigan named Non-Fiction runner-up.

President Jimmy Carter as the Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award.

The fiction and nonfiction winners each receive a $10,000 cash prize, and the fiction and nonfiction runners-up each receive a $5,000 cash prize. The Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation will honour this year’s winners and runners-up at an awards ceremony in Dayton, Ohio, the weekend of November 9-10, 2024.

Latest Prizes to Submit to: McKitterick Prize.