(Black PR Wire) Suffolk, VA - The Black Caucus of the American Library Association, Inc. (BCALA) and BiblioLabs announce the winners of the 2021 Book Award. Following the model of the current BCALA Literary Awards, the award honors the best books/EBooks in fiction and poetry by an African American author in the U.S. This is the sixth time BCALA and BiblioLabs have given this innovative award. The recipients will receive their awards during the National Conference of African American Librarians in 2021.

FICTION

The fiction category winner is Beyond Bourbon Street by Nikesha Elise Williams (NEW Reads Publications). Williams tells a story about a husband and wife Bombei and Graigh living down in New Orleans. She eloquently reveals their struggles with life and marriage years after the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Pregnant and battling with some familial traumas, Graigh can’t seem to let go of what is weighing her down and preventing her from being fulfilled.

Nikesha is a two-time Emmy Award winning producer. She produces and hosts the podcast, Black & Published, and works full time as a writer and writing coach. She lives in Jacksonville, Florida with her family.

POETRY

The poetry category winner is Living, Loving, Letting Go (Namhar Publishing) by Rahman Johnson. The beautiful poems highlight the different paths in life that one may face. Johnson inspirationally reveals moments of his life journey of self- reflection through the language of poetry. His amazing tributes to cherished loved ones provides a loving insight to readers who seek love, healing and life happiness. Rahman Johnson currently serves as a professor of Journalism and Communications at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, FL.

Members of the BCALA EBook Literary Awards Jury are: Tiffany A. Duck (Chair), Suffolk Public Library; Dana Evans, Hampton University; Annie Payton, Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University; Stacy Williams, University of Southern California; Stacy Brooks, Detroit Public Library, Eddie Hughes, Southern University; Brenda Spencer Robertson, University of North Texas at Dallas Student Center.