Chicago Writers Win Top Honors in 2025 Literary Awards
The Chicago Review of Books has announced its annual literary awards for 2025, recognizing some of the most talented writers from the Windy City. The prestigious CHIRBy Awards celebrate fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and essays published by authors based in Chicago.
Leading the pack is Samira Ahmed, a bestselling author of Young Adult novels, including "Love, Hate & Other Filters." Ahmed was awarded the Adam Morgan Literary Leadership Award for her tireless efforts to protect readers' freedom and fight against book bans. In her acceptance speech, she emphasized the importance of reading and writing as tools for social change.
Other notable winners include Theodore C. Van Alst Jr., whose semi-autobiographical novel "The El" explores a group of teenage gang members in Chicago during the 1970s, and Eve L. Ewing, a sociologist, author, and poet who received the nonfiction award for her book "Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism." Ewing's work sheds light on the historical injustices faced by marginalized communities in the US education system.
Rob Macaisa Colgate, a debut poet, won the poetry award for his collection "Hardly Creatures," which celebrates the resilience and diversity of the disability community. Meanwhile, WBEZ immigration reporter Adriana Cardona-Maguigad received the essay/short story award for her reported piece "A trans migrant came to Chicago to escape violence. Now she's afraid of deportation." This work highlights the struggles faced by immigrant communities in Chicago under the Trump administration.
The 2025 CHIRBy Awards mark the 10th anniversary of the awards program, which recognizes the outstanding contributions of local authors and literary organizations. Past winners include notable writers like Rebecca Makkai, Ling Ma, and Erika L. Sánchez.
Overall, this year's CHIRBy Awards showcase the rich literary talent emerging from Chicago, celebrating the diversity and creativity of its writers and communities.
The Chicago Review of Books has announced its annual literary awards for 2025, recognizing some of the most talented writers from the Windy City. The prestigious CHIRBy Awards celebrate fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and essays published by authors based in Chicago.
Leading the pack is Samira Ahmed, a bestselling author of Young Adult novels, including "Love, Hate & Other Filters." Ahmed was awarded the Adam Morgan Literary Leadership Award for her tireless efforts to protect readers' freedom and fight against book bans. In her acceptance speech, she emphasized the importance of reading and writing as tools for social change.
Other notable winners include Theodore C. Van Alst Jr., whose semi-autobiographical novel "The El" explores a group of teenage gang members in Chicago during the 1970s, and Eve L. Ewing, a sociologist, author, and poet who received the nonfiction award for her book "Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism." Ewing's work sheds light on the historical injustices faced by marginalized communities in the US education system.
Rob Macaisa Colgate, a debut poet, won the poetry award for his collection "Hardly Creatures," which celebrates the resilience and diversity of the disability community. Meanwhile, WBEZ immigration reporter Adriana Cardona-Maguigad received the essay/short story award for her reported piece "A trans migrant came to Chicago to escape violence. Now she's afraid of deportation." This work highlights the struggles faced by immigrant communities in Chicago under the Trump administration.
The 2025 CHIRBy Awards mark the 10th anniversary of the awards program, which recognizes the outstanding contributions of local authors and literary organizations. Past winners include notable writers like Rebecca Makkai, Ling Ma, and Erika L. Sánchez.
Overall, this year's CHIRBy Awards showcase the rich literary talent emerging from Chicago, celebrating the diversity and creativity of its writers and communities.
... Samira Ahmed is my spirit animal 
! I mean, have you read "Love, Hate & Other Filters"? it's like she wrote directly into my soul 
. And can we talk about Eve L. Ewing's book "Original Sins" for a second? it's like she's speaking truth to power and shedding light on so many important issues 
. I'm just so grateful that these amazing writers are being recognized for their work - it's really making me want to go back to school and pursue my own writing dreams 
. And can we please give a shoutout to Rob Macaisa Colgate too? his poetry is like music to my ears 
...
i'm also loving the diversity of the winners - Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.'s novel about teenage gang members in 70s chicago is giving me all the feels 
and Eve L. Ewing's nonfiction work on racism & education is so important, we need more voices like hers speaking out 
And Eve L. Ewing's work is just so powerful - shedding light on the historical injustices faced by marginalized communities is what we need more of in this country.
It's not just about celebrating individual achievements, it's about amplifying marginalized voices.
Can't wait to dive into these award-winning books! 
. Like, Samira Ahmed’s Adam Morgan Literary Leadership Award is super inspiring because she’s using her platform to fight for what matters most - access to books and free speech 
. I love how the CHIRBy Awards are celebrating all this amazing literary talent from Chicago, it's like a breath of fresh air 
. They should totally keep doing this, it’s giving me hope for the future of literature 
yall gotta wonder why they didnt announce these awards till now lol what's so special about 2025? is it a coverup? all these winners seem to be saying somethin', like Eve L. Ewing, with her book on racism in education. whats really goin on there? 
but we gotta stay vigilant, ya know? there's always somethin' fishy goin' on...
ted van alst jr's "the el" is on my tbr list ASAP, sounds so raw and emotional. evie ewing's nonfiction book is also super important, sheds some serious light on the us education system's messed up history. 
adriana cardona-maguigad's essay wins me over every time, her reporting is so impactful and relatable. 10th anniversary celebration? that's awesome! keep supporting these chicago writers & literary orgs! 
about how important reading and writing can be in creating social change 
. And Eve L Ewing's work is just... wow 
️. I'm also loving Rob Macaisa Colgate's poetry collection "Hardly Creatures" it's all about celebrating resilience and diversity in the disability community 
and i love how eve ewing's nonfiction book sheds light on the historical injustices faced by marginalized communities, we need more voices like hers amplifying these issues 
it's awesome to see the 2025 chirby awards celebrating these talented writers & their contributions to the community 
.
. Who wrote that book "The El" by Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.? Sounds so cool! I need to read it ASAP 
And Adriana Cardona-Maguigad's reported piece is a heartbreaking reminder of the struggles faced by immigrant communities. We need to keep amplifying their voices and stories.
And what's with the immigration reporter winning an award for reporting on deportation struggles? Sounds like a propaganda piece to me! 
The CHIRBy Awards are just another way to shape our thoughts and opinions. Wake up, sheeple! 
. WBEZ reporter Adriana Cardona-Maguigad's work is a great example of how journalism can shed light on these issues and bring attention to marginalized voices