Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award
Volunteer to be an At-Large Reader!
Become a Volunteer Reader and help us select the 9th Annual Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award Winner. At-large volunteer readers perform the first round of judging, selecting from the 150+ entries to form the 30-book Long List. Finalists and winner will be selected by a panel of five judges. As an at-large reader, you will
- Read a minimum of two books from our list of submissions — you choose or we can assign. Read more if you’re on a roll (many readers do!).
- Find the book at your local library or bookstore, or use a free PDF version available on our website.
- Give each book a grade and fill out a short form with review notes.
Reading Period is February through May.
- At-large volunteer readers receive a 20% discount to our gift shop and the same discount for a ticket to the exciting award-night celebration in November.
- All “super-readers” who read and score 5+ books will be included in a drawing, with three winners receiving a signed copy of the winning book and a FREE ticket to the awards dinner ($250 value).
- You don’t have to be a Twain scholar to judge; the only criterion is literary excellence – whether you find the books you read to be worthy of acclaim.
Contact Omar Acevedo, omar.acevedo@marktwainhouse.org, to register as a volunteer reader.
Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award
From his home in Hartford, Mark Twain changed the way the world sees America and the way Americans see themselves.
Part of what makes Mark Twain’s work such an iconic piece of American history is the part he played in establishing a uniquely American voice in literature – especially with his 1885 masterpiece Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Just as Huckleberry Finn defined the voice of 19th-century America, The Mark Twain House & Museum looks to recognize modern voices that define our current America.
MTAVL Winners
2024 – Alice McDermott for Absolution
2023 – Jennifer Haigh for Mercy Street
2022 – Dawnie Walton for The Final Revival of Opal & Nev
2021 – Stephen Graham Jones for The Only Good Indians.
2020 – Ocean Vuong for On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous
2019 – Jesmyn Ward for Sing, Unburied, Sing
2018 – Bill Beverly for Dodgers
2017 – T.C. Boyle for The Harder They Come
First presented in 2016, the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award honors a work of fiction from the previous calendar year that speaks with an “American Voice” about American experiences. The award carries a $25,000 cash prize underwritten by David and Michelle Baldacci.
Save the Date for the 2025 American Voice in Literature Award Celebration: Friday November 7th
For more information about the Celebration, contact Dawn Veillette Diana at dawn.vdiana@marktwainhouse.org
To read about the 2024 year’s panel of Judges, click HERE. For more information, contact Omar Acevedo at omar.acevedo@marktwainhouse.org.
For information on sponsorships,
contact Dawn Veillette Diana, Director of Development.
The Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award is sponsored by:
