The Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) on Sept. 30 named Kaveh Akbar and Blair LM Kelley as the winners of the 2024 Book Prize.
Akbar won the fiction award for his debut novel Martyr! and Kelley with the nonfiction prize for Black Folk: The Roots of the Black Working Class, according to a press release.
“Both of the 2024 Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize winners have crafted affecting and deeply personal works,” said Linda E. Johnson, BPL president and chief executive officer. “Kaveh Akbar’s brilliant debut novel Martyr! poetically explores grief, immigration, and addiction, while Dr. Blair LM Kelley’s Black Folk traces the history of Black labor through her own family’s story.”
Akbar’s Martyr! follows Cyrus Shams, a poet and addict grappling with loss and martyrdom. His journey brings him to Brooklyn, where a mysterious painting alters his understanding of his mother’s life.
“I grew up in libraries, the book takes place largely in Brooklyn, and it feels serendipitous to be recognized in this way,” Akbar said. “Few things could mean more to me sincerely, hand on my heart.”
Kelley’s Black Folk spans over 200 years of Black labor history, starting with her enslaved ancestor and covering modern-day struggles. She sheds light on Black workers, from sharecroppers to postal workers, whose contributions have shaped the working class.
“I am deeply honored to receive the 2024 Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize for Black Folk,” Kelley said. “Libraries have always been spaces for learning and radical possibility.”
Nearly 80 books were nominated for this year’s prize, celebrating works that capture the diverse spirit of Brooklyn. Librarian Jess Harwick, chair of the Book Prize committee, praised both books for their thought-provoking storytelling.
