Los Angeles, CA, May 14, 2026 –(PR.com)– The Black Caucus of the American Library Association, Inc. (BCALA) has named The Lost Songs of Nina Simone by award-winning author and educator Shonda Buchanan as the winner of the 2026 BCALA Best Poetry Book Award. Published by RIZE Press, an imprint of Los Angeles–based independent publisher Running Wild, LLC, the collection will be formally recognized during the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago, Illinois on Saturday, June 27, 2026, 2pm-3:30pm in the Hyatt McCormick Adler ABC Room at the McCormick Place Convention Center, (2301 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Drive, Chicago, IL 60616).
BCALA’s Literary Awards honor excellence in adult fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and outstanding contributions to publishing by African American authors whose works were published in the previous year. The 2026 awards recognize books published in 2026 that exemplify literary merit, cultural significance, and lasting impact on readers and communities.
