This year, City Cast DC is conducting our inaugural City Cast 6 awards, where we recognize six local leaders transforming six distinct industries — Politics, Food & Drink, Business & Development, Sustainability, Music, and Literature.
After months of research, interviews, and deliberation, we're proud to announce the winner of the Literature category.
🏆 WINNER: Jason Reynolds
Chosen by our panel of experts.
Reynolds was born in D.C. and raised in neighboring Oxon Hill, Maryland. He began writing poetry at 9 years old and focused on that for the next two decades. He published several poetry collections before he published his first novel, “When I Was The Greatest,” in 2014.
Most of Reynolds’ works are children's books or YA books focusing on antiracism and the Black experience in America. He also recently published a four-part podcast starring his mom and a short film called “Dear, Dreamer” about traversing the schools and landscapes of modern-day America.
He has received a Newbery Medal, a Printz Honor, an NAACP Image Award, and multiple Coretta Scott King honors. Reynolds is also the 2020-2022 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.
D.C.'s own youth literature superstar! No one has done more in the last decade to get kids reading. Jason writes outstanding books for all ages and regularly engages with children and adults all over the country, encouraging literacy and creativity. We are so lucky to have him right here!
Emilie Sommer, book buyer at East City Bookshop
🙌 PEOPLE’S CHOICE: Jason Reynolds
Based on votes by listeners and readers.
🥈 RUNNERS-UP:
Nominated by other experts in the field.
- Lupita Aquino – Bookstagramer focusing on Latinx-authored books (lupita.reads).
- Chantal Tseng – Bartender and creator of “Literary Cocktails” series, and lead of several D.C. book clubs.
Our Selection Process:
To ensure the veracity of the awards, we chatted with dozens of field experts across D.C., conducted listener and reader polls, and did our own research to come up with nominations. Finally, we had you vote to choose a "People's Choice" winner. And we had our panel of experts — Washington Post's Michael Brice-Saddler, Axios' Anna Spiegel, and City Cast's David Plotz — confer and select a winner per category.
