BATON ROUGE, La. –The Louisiana Center for the Book in the State Library of Louisiana proudly announces New Orleans native and LSU creative writing assistant professor Maurice Carlos Ruffin as the recipient of the 24th Louisiana Writer Award.
The award is given annually by the Louisiana Center for the Book to recognize an outstanding contribution to the state's literary heritage, as shown in the writer’s body of work.
“Maurice has said the people of Louisiana – and New Orleans in particular – have inspired his work,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “We’re delighted to honor someone who has drawn his inspiration from our state and his hometown and who has been an advocate for both during some of their most trying times.”
“Maurice is a versatile writer. Nonfiction, fiction, op-eds, book reviews, poetry – he’s done it all,” said Interim State Librarian Meg Placke. “The Louisiana Writer Award is another on a growing list of awards Maurice already has received, but we know he’s as proud of this oneas we are of him.”
“This is the highest possible honor, and I accept it on behalf of all the storytellers of New Orleans and Louisiana whose stories are yet to be received,” Ruffin said. “My long-term hope is that my work will inspire and support the next generation of young, Black New Orleans writers to tell their own stories.”
Ruffin’s primary focusis on the lived experiences and history of the diverse Black community of New Orleans where he resides. He has authored two books, "We Cast a Shadow"and "The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You," with a third, "The American Daughters," to be publishedinearly 2024, all set in Louisiana or the South. Ruffin’s writing has also appeared in numerous print and online publications, including several anthologies.
Ruffin’s work has been recognized with several awards, including the Iowa Review Award in fiction and the William Faulkner–William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition Award for Novel-in-Progress. "The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You," a collection of short stories, was a finalist for the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence and longlisted for the Story Prize. It is one of two books by Louisiana authors selected to represent the state at the 2023 National Book Festival in Washington, D.C.
The Louisiana Writer Award will be presented to Ruffin during an opening ceremony of the Louisiana Book Festival on Saturday, October 28, in Baton Rouge. Visit the Louisiana Writer Award webpage for more information about Ruffin and his work.
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The Louisiana Center for the Book was established in the State Library of Louisiana in 1994 to grow interest in reading, books, literacy, libraries, and to celebrate Louisiana’s rich literary heritage. It is the state affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book.
