Brooke Obie’s Debut Novel Wins BCALA Literary Award
NEW YORK, NY—April 5, 2017
On April 5, 2017, the Black Caucus of the American Library Association announced that 
Brooke Obie’s debut novel, Book of Addis: Cradled Embers won the Self-Published Literary Award for Fiction.
“As a Black woman and a self-published author, it can be a long, hard road for the media and literary community to value and reward our stories,” Obie said upon hearing the news. “I am so grateful for the Black Caucus of the American Library Association for seeing Book of Addis, for honoring Black stories told by Black authors and for valuing the craft and determination that goes into writing and producing self-published and digital books. It is an incredible honor to receive this award.”
Brooke will accept the monetary award at the National Conference of African American Librarians in Atlanta, GA on August 10th, 2017.
From the BCALA press release: “This is a historical fiction novel of power, resistance, and detail. Addis escapes from her master and embarks on a journey that is raw, breathtaking, and inspiring. Obie takes fear and glamorously turns it into fierce action through Addis’ love story, hope, and revolution.”
The BCALA Literary Awards also awarded traditionally published authors: National Book Award-winner Jacquelyn Woodson’s Another Brooklyn for fiction, Margot Lee Shetterly’s Hidden Figures for non-fiction, and Clint Smith’s Counting Descent for poetry.
ABOUT BOOK OF ADDIS:
When 17-year-old enslaved girl Addis accidentally kills her enslaver, the first president of the young country Amerika, she unwittingly becomes the face of the greatest conflict in the nation’s short history. On the run for her life, with unlikely friends and a world of enemies, Addis becomes the most wanted person alive and a global symbol of hope for enslaved people longing for freedom.
Hailed as “brilliant” by award-winning author Susan Cheever and featured in Ebony, TeenVogue.com, NBCNews.com, Very Smart Brothas, Lenny Letter, SiriusXM and more, Book of Addis is an epic tale of love, loss, and the cost of liberation, and the first novel in the 3-part literary fiction series.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Brooke C. Obie, JD, MFA, is an award-winning novelist and writer. Her work has appeared in Ebony, The Los Angeles Review of Books, MarieClaire.com and more. Her debut novel Book of Addis: Cradled Embers won the BCALA Literary Award for self-published fiction. Brooke has attended writing workshops with Columbia University in Paris, France and the Callaloo Journal of African Diaspora Arts & Letters at Oxford University. Brooke lives happily in Harlem where she’s working on the Book of Addis sequel.
For interview requests and review copies, email press@bookofaddis.com.
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