His numerous accolades include “Midnight’s Children” winning the Booker Prize in 1981, being knighted for his services to literature in 2007, receiving the PEN/Pinter Prize in 2014, and being honored with Germany’s Peace Prize of the German Book Trade in 2023.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Rushdie is also an advocate for the freedom of expression. Since the fatwa issued against him in 1989 following the publication of “The Satanic Verses,” he has championed artistic courage, defending writers and intellectuals under threat.
“As president of PEN America and through his public voice, he has championed free thought and the power of literature to foster empathy, challenge tyranny, and deepen human understanding,” noted the foundation in a press release. “His books continue to resonate worldwide, shaping generations of readers and reaffirming the enduring belief that words must be free.”
Named in honor of the U.S. diplomat who brokered the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords, the Holbrooke Award is annually given to a writer whose body of work fosters peace and global understanding. Previous recipients include Geraldine Brooks (2010), Tim O’Brien (2012), Gloria Steinem (2015), Margaret Atwood (2020/2021), Wil Haygood (2022), Sandra Cisneros (2023) and President Jimmy Carter (2024) among others.
“In this time of war abroad and turmoil at home, it feels more important than ever to speak of peace,” Rushdie said in a press statement. “I’m grateful for this opportunity to celebrate the beauty and urgent necessity of peace, and to remember that art is always in the service of that cause.”
Credit: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
Credit: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
Fueled by its mission of fostering peace through literature, the foundation is pleased to recognize Rushdie’s legacy.
“In a moment when our world finds itself ensnared in perpetual conflict, Salman Rushdie’s persistent and courageous efforts to guide readers through experiences they often aren’t equipped to understand on their own, has never been more important,” said Nicholas A. Raines, executive director of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation, in a press statement. “Mr. Rushdie’s example of resilience and forgiveness, even in the face of violence, makes him a beacon of light within our ranks. His voice is indispensable to all who fight for peace.”
Fiction and nonfiction honorees
The foundation has also announced “Martyr!” by Kaveh Akbar (Random House) as the winner of the 2025 Dayton Literary Peace Prize for Fiction and “The Burning Earth: A History” by Sunil Amrith (W.W. Norton) as the winner of the 2025 Dayton Literary Peace Prize for Nonfiction. “Black Butterflies” by Priscilla Morris (Knopf) has been named the runner-up in the fiction category, and “A Map of Future Ruins: On Borders and Belonging” by Lauren Markham (Random House) has been named the runner-up in the nonfiction category.
The fiction and nonfiction winners each receive a $10,000 cash prize and the fiction and nonfiction runners-up each receive a $5,000 cash prize. They will be recognized at an awards ceremony the weekend of Nov. 8-9.
A finalist for the 2024 National Book Award, “Martyr!” follows Cyrus Shams, a queer Iranian-American poet grappling with grief and addiction. As he navigates the aftermath of his mother’s tragic death and his own unraveling, Akbar, in his debut, delivers an exploration of identity, faith and the search for meaning.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
“To fully apprehend and act against the myriad atrocities we, as a species, levy on each other, first we must be able to perceive the vital and complex humanity of the harmed,” Akbar said in a press statement. “Stories help. It is a privilege to be recognized by a prize that understands peace as art’s ultimate horizon.”
Awarded the 2024 Fukuoka Academic Prize, “The Burning Earth” offers a sweeping global history of how humanity has shaped the planet and vice versa. Amrith, a historian and 2017 MacArthur Fellow, delves into the intersections of climate, migration and inequality.
“I am deeply honored to be recognized by the Dayton Literary Peace Prize alongside so many great writers,” Amrith said in a press statement. “It is particularly meaningful to me to have The Burning Earth recognized as a book that promotes peace. The values embodied by the Dayton Literary Peace Prize are more vital to our future than they have ever been.”
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Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Shortlisted for the 2023 Women’s Prize for Fiction, “Black Butterflies” is set during the Siege of Sarajevo and centered on Zora, an artist and teacher who finds ways to rebuild.
“I am hugely honored and deeply grateful that my debut novel has been recognized by the Dayton Literary Peace Prize,” Morris said in a press statement. “It is especially meaningful given the connection between Dayton and Sarajevo. Works of literature that promote peaceful co-existence and resistance to war are needed now more than ever.”
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
A finalist for the California Book Award and the Northern California Book Award, “A Map of Future Ruins” explores migration, identity and the human cost of borders.
“Being a runner-up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize is deeply moving to me,” Markham said in a press statement. “‘A Map of Future Ruins’ grapples with the asymmetries of the stories we tell about immigrations past and present, and the way these narratives determine our politics and policies. This prize affirms my belief in the power of writing and words —however feeble they can feel in these times of great turmoil — to transform our understanding of the world in which we live, and its possible futures.”
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Special guests
During the foundation’s Nov. 8-9 festivities, Rushdie will be in conversation with David S. Rohde, a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. Rohde is the national security and law editor at NBC News and a former executive editor of The New Yorker website. He worked as a foreign correspondent and national security reporter for the New York Times, Reuters and the Christian Science Monitor, and covered the wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bosnia.
In addition Joshua Carter will introduce and award the Holbrooke citation to Rushdie. Carter made the opening remarks and accepted the Holbrooke Award in 2024 for his grandfather, President Jimmy Carter, in absentia. He is the fourth grandchild of President Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. He is a small business owner, and the writer, producer and host of the “Unchanging Principles Podcast.”
MORE DETAILS
To purchase tickets for the Nov. 8 conversation with Rushdie, which will take place at the Victoria Theatre, visit daytonlive.org/events/DLPP. To purchase tickets for the gala on Nov. 9, which will take place at the Dayton Arcade, email contact info@daytonliterarypeaceprize.org or visit the DLPP website.
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