Kwame Alexander

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For the basketball player, see Kwame Alexander (basketball).
Kwame Alexander
Kwame Alexander, photo by Rowan Daly
Kwame Alexander, photo by Rowan Daly
BornEdward Curtis Kwame Alexander II
(1968-08-21) August 21, 1968 (age 55)
Manhattan, New York, U.S.
OccupationPoet, educator, publisher, Emmy® Award-winning producer, and #1 New York Times bestselling author of 40 books
Alma materVirginia Tech
GenrePoetry, Children's literature, Memoir
Notable awards
SpouseStephanie Stanley
RelativesSia Alexander (sister), Nataki Alexander (sister) and Ade’ Alexander (brother)
Website
kwamealexander.com

Kwame Alexander (born August 21, 1968) is American poet, educator, publisher, Emmy® Award-winning producer, and #1 New York Times bestselling author of 40 books, including poetry, memoir, and children's fiction. His mission is to change the world, one word at a time.

Personal life and education[edit]

Alexander was born in Manhattan, New York, but he spent his formative years in Virginia.[1] His father was a scholar and book publisher and his mother was an educator. Raised in an environment saturated with knowledge, books became an integral part of his upbringing.

Alexander attended Virginia Tech, where he initially pursued premedical studies, until he took a writing class taught by with award-winning poet[2] Nikki Giovanni,[3] redirecting his path.

Writing career[edit]

Alexander is a #1 New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of 40 books, including poetry, memoir, and children's literature. Titles include This is the Honey, Why Fathers Cry at Night, An American Story, The Door of No Return, Becoming Muhammad Ali (co-authored with James Patterson), Rebound, which was shortlisted for the prestigious UK Carnegie Medal, and The Undefeated, the National Book Award nominee, Newbery Medal Honor,[4] and Caldecott Medal Award-winning picture book, illustrated by Kadir Nelson.

In 2023, Alexander was appointed as the Michael I. Rudell Artistic Director of Literary Arts for Chautauqua Literary Arts at the Chautauqua Institution, and also serves as their Inaugural Writer-in-Residence.

Entertainment endeavors[edit]

Alexander is also the CEO of Big Sea Entertainment, co-founded with his longtime agent and business partner Arielle Eckstut. Big Sea Entertainment is dedicated to creating innovative, highly original children’s and family entertainment. The name was inspired by the autobiography of Langston Hughes and its epitaph:

Life is a big sea

full of many fish.

I let down my nets

and pull.

Among his most recent projects under Big Sea Entertainment, Alexander served as Executive Producer, Showrunner, and Writer of the Emmy Award-winning series The Crossover, based on his Newbery-Medal winning novel of the same name, which premiered on Disney+ in April 2023. The series was produced in partnership with LeBron James' SpringHill Company and Big Sea Entertainment.

Other current projects in development at Big Sea include America’s Next Great Author, the groundbreaking reality television series for writers, as well as an animated series in production with GBH based on his beloved children’s book Acoustic Rooster.

Alexander is also the creator and host of the Why Fathers Cry podcast, featuring conversations about love and parenting and loss, with fathers and sons. He has also served as a regular contributor to National Public Radio's Morning Edition program.[1]

Speaking engagements[edit]

Alexander regularly serves as a keynote and guest speaker at hundreds of thousands of schools, libraries, organizations and conferences around the world. He has shared his passion for literacy, books and the craft of writing at events like the Chautauqua Institution Lecture Series, the Edinburgh Book Festival, Aspen Ideas Festival, Asheville Ideas Fest, and the Global Literacy Symposium in Ghana, where he opened the Barbara E. Alexander Memorial Library and Health Clinic in Ghana.

Awards and honors[edit]

Alexander has received many awards as a writer, among them the 2017 Pat Conroy Legacy Award (an award that honors the example of acclaimed author Pat Conroy and recognizes writers who have achieved a lasting impact on their literary community),[5] and his verse novel The Crossover won the 2015 Newbery Medal and was selected as an Honor book for the Coretta Scott King Award.[6]

The Crossover,[7] Booked,[8] Out of Wonder,[9] Solo,[10] Becoming Mohammed Ali,[11] The Undefeated,[12] and The Door of No Return[13] are New York Times bestselling books. The Undefeated is also an IndieBound bestseller.[12]

In 2014, The Crossover was named one of the best books of the year by Kirkus Reviews[7] and Shelf Awareness.[14]

In 2014, Alexander's picture book Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band was selected for the "Michigan Reads! One State, One Children's Book" program.[15]

In 2016, Booked was named one of the best books of the year by Kirkus Reviews.[8]

In 2017, Out of Wonder was named one of the best books of the year by Kirkus Reviews[9]

The same year, Solo was named one of the best books of the year by Kirkus Reviews.[10]

In 2018, Rebound was named one of the best books of the year by The Horn Book Magazine.[16]

In 2019, The Undefeated was named one of the best books of the year by Kirkus Reviews[12] and The Horn Book Magazine.[16]

In 2020, Becoming Mohammed Ali was named one of the best books of the year by Kirkus Reviews.[11]

In 2022, The Door of No Return was named one of the best books of the year by Kirkus Reviews,[13] The Horn Book Magazine,[16] and Shelf Awareness.[17] A historical verse novel set in Ghana in 1861, The Door of No Return is told from the perspective of 11-year-old Koffi and was inspired by Alexander's visits to Ghana.[18]

In 2023, the adaptation of The Crossover, the Newbery Award-winning verse novel won the Outstanding Young Teen Series award at the second annual Children's and Family Emmy Awards, which took place in Los Angeles on December 17, 2023. Alexander served as Executive Producer, Showrunner, and Writer for the series, and accepted the award on behalf of the production team.

In 2023, Alexander was appointed as the Michael I. Rudell Artistic Director of Literary Arts for Chautauqua Literary Arts at the Chautauqua Institution, and also serves as their Inaugural Writer-in-Residence.

In 2024, An American Story, written by Alexander and illustrated by Dare Coulter, won the 2024 Coretta Scott King Book Award, honoring African American illustrators of outstanding books for children and young adults.

Awards for Alexander's books
Year Title Award Result Ref.
2014 The Crossover Cybil Award for Middle Grade Fiction Finalist [19]
Goodreads Choice Award for Middle Grade & Children's Nominee [20]
2015 ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults Top 10 [21]
ALSC Notable Children's Books Selection [22]
Coretta Scott King Award for Author Honor [23][24]
Newbery Medal Winner [25][7][26]
Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers Top 10 [27]
2016 Booked Cybil Award for Poetry Finalist [28]
Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Poetry Nominee [29]
National Book Award for Young People's Literature Longlist [25][30]
Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award Nominee
2017 The Crossover ALSC Notable Children's Books Selection [31]
Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award Winner [32]
Solo Goodreads Choice Awards for Poetry Nominee [33]
2017 Out of Wonder Cybil Award for Poetry Finalist [34]
Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth Selection [35]
2018 Rebound Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Poetry Nominee [36]
Solo NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work - Youth/Teens Finalist [37]
Out of Wonder ALSC Notable Children's Books Selection [38]
Coretta Scott King Book Award for Illustrator Winner [23][39]
2019 How to Read a Book Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Picture Books Nominee [40]
Rebound ALSC Notable Children's Recordings Selection [41]
ALSC Notable Children's Books Selection [42]
Carnegie Medal Shortlist [43]
Swing Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults Selection [44]
The Undefeated Cybil Award for Fiction Picture Book Finalist [45]
Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Picture Books Nominee [46]
National Book Award for Young People's Literature Longlist [25]
2020 How to Read a Book ALSC Notable Children's Books Selection [47]
The Undefeated Coretta Scott King Book Award for Illustrator Winner [23]
Golden Kite Award Honor [48]
Kirkus Prize Finalist [12]
Newbery Medal Honor [26]
2021 Becoming Muhammad Ali ALSC Notable Children's Books Selection [49]
2023 The Door of No Return ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults Top 10 [50]
ALSC Notable Children's Books Selection [51]
Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults Top 10 [52]
2024 An American Story Coretta Scott King Book Award for Illustrator Winner

Publications[edit]

Poetry[edit]

  • The Flow: New Black Poets in Motion, ed. (1994)
  • Just Us: Poems & Counterpoems, 1986–1995 (1995)
  • 360°: A Revolution of Black Poets, ed. (1998)
  • Kupenda: Love Poems (2000)
  • Dancing Naked on the Floor: poems and essays (2005)
  • The Way I Walk: short stories and poems for Young Adults, ed. (2006)
  • Crush: Love Poems (2007)
  • Family Pictures: Poems and Photographs Celebrating Our Loved Ones, ed. (2007)
  • An American Poem (2008)
  • And Then You Know: New and Selected Poems (2008)
  • The Book Party (2016)
  • This is the Honey: An Anthology of Contemporary Black Poets, ed. (2024)

Memoir[edit]

  • Why Fathers Cry at Night: A Memoir in Love Poems, Letters, Recipes, and Remembrances (2023)

Young Adult and Middle Reader Novels[edit]

  • He Said, She Said: A Novel (2013)
  • The Crossover (2015)
  • Booked (2016)[53][54][55]
  • The Playbook: 52 Rules to Aim, Shoot, and Score in This Game Called Life (2017)
  • Solo (2017) (with Mary Rand Hess)
  • Rebound (2018) (prequel to The Crossover)
  • Swing (2018) (with Mary Rand Hess)
  • The Door of No Return (2022)

Picture Books[edit]

  • Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band (2011)
  • Indigo Blume and the Garden City (2012)
  • Little Boys Soar (2014)
  • Surf's Up (2016)
  • How to Read a Book (2019), illustrated by Melissa Sweet
  • The Undefeated (2019), illustrated by Kadir Nelson
  • An American Story (2023); published in the UK as Unspoken (2023)
  • How to Write a Poem (2023), illustrated by Deanna Nikaido

Other Titles[edit]

  • Tough Love: Cultural Criticism and Familial Observations on the Life and Death of Tupac Shakur, ed. (1996)
  • Do the Write Thing (2002) (with Nina Foxx)
  • Kwame Alexander's Page-to-Stage Writing Workshop (2016)

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Kwame Alexander | Biography, Books, Poems, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  2. ^ "Kwame Alexander · Virginia Changemakers". edu.lva.virginia.gov. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  3. ^ Italie, Hillel (February 3, 2015), "Alexander, Santat win top children's book prizes", US News. Archived 2015-06-14 at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ^ de León, Concepción (January 27, 2020). "Graphic Novel Wins Newbery Medal for the First Time". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 28, 2020. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  5. ^ "Conroy Legacy Award Winner - Southern Indie Booksellers Alliance". sibaweb.com. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  6. ^ The best children's books: Newbery, Caldecott winners announced Archived 2015-02-04 at the Wayback Machine, Ashley Strickland, CNN, February 2, 2015
  7. ^ a b c "The Crossover". Kirkus Reviews. December 18, 2013. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Booked". Kirkus Reviews. January 9, 2016. Archived from the original on November 26, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Out of Wonder". Kirkus Reviews. December 21, 2016. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  10. ^ a b "Solo". Kirkus Reviews. May 1, 2017. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  11. ^ a b "Becoming Mohammed Ali". Kirkus Reviews. August 4, 2020. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  12. ^ a b c d "The Undefeated". Kirkus Reviews. January 15, 2019. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  13. ^ a b "The Door of No Return". Kirkus Reviews. June 8, 2022. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  14. ^ "Our 2014 Best Books of the Year". Shelf Awareness. December 15, 2014. Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  15. ^ "Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band Chosen as 2014 Michigan Reads! Book" Archived 2015-02-04 at the Wayback Machine, Michigan.gov, September 5, 2014.
  16. ^ a b c "Horn Book Fanfare 1938 to present". The Horn Book. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  17. ^ "Shelf Awareness's Best Children's & YA Books of 2022". Shelf Awareness. November 28, 2022. Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  18. ^ "an interview with Kwame Alexander". Just Imagine. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  19. ^ "2014 Cybils Finalists". Archived from the original on November 5, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  20. ^ "The Crossover". Goodreads. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  21. ^ "Best Fiction for Young Adults: 2015". Booklist. March 15, 2015. Archived from the original on January 3, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  22. ^ "Notable Children's Books: 2015". Booklist. March 15, 2015. Archived from the original on October 18, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  23. ^ a b c "Coretta Scott King Book Awards - All Recipients, 1970-Present". American Library Association. April 5, 2012. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  24. ^ "Coretta Scott King Honor Books: 2015". Booklist. February 2, 2015. Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  25. ^ a b c "Kwame Alexander". National Book Foundation. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  26. ^ a b "Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1922-Present". Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). November 30, 1999. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  27. ^ "Top 10 Quick Picks: 2015". Booklist. March 11, 2015. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  28. ^ "2016 Cybils Finalists". Children's and Young Adult Book Lover's Literary Awards. Archived from the original on November 5, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  29. ^ "Booked". Goodreads. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  30. ^ "Awards: Man Booker Shortlist; NBA Young People's Literature Longlist". Shelf Awareness. September 13, 2016. Archived from the original on August 23, 2018. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  31. ^ Schulte-Cooper, Laura (February 3, 2017). "ALSC names 2017 Notable Children's Books". American Library Association. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  32. ^ "Past Awards". Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  33. ^ "Solo". Goodreads. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  34. ^ "2017 Cybils Finalists". Children's and Young Adult Book Lover's Literary Awards. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  35. ^ "2018-01-01". Booklist. Archived from the original on December 28, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  36. ^ "Rebound". Goodreads. Archived from the original on November 21, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  37. ^ "NAACP Image Awards: Full List of Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. January 14, 2018. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  38. ^ Schulte-Cooper, Laura (April 12, 2018). "ALSC names 2018 Notable Children's Books". American Library Association. Archived from the original on January 9, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  39. ^ "Coretta Scott King Award Winners: 2018". Booklist. February 12, 2018. Archived from the original on December 14, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  40. ^ "How to Read a Book". Goodreads. Archived from the original on September 21, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  41. ^ "Notable Children's Recordings: 2019". Booklist. March 15, 2019. Archived from the original on September 21, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  42. ^ "Notable Children's Books: 2019". Booklist. March 15, 2019. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  43. ^ "Awards: J. Anthony Lukas Winners; CILIP Carnegie, Kate Greenaway Shortlists". Shelf Awareness. March 20, 2019. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  44. ^ "Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults: 2019". Booklist. March 15, 2019. Archived from the original on April 7, 2019. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  45. ^ "2019 Cybils Finalists". Children's and Young Adult Book Lover's Literary Awards. Archived from the original on November 5, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  46. ^ "The Undefeated". Goodreads. Archived from the original on November 17, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  47. ^ Schulte-Cooper, Laura (February 25, 2020). "ALSC names 2020 Notable Children's Books". American Library Association. Archived from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  48. ^ "Awards: Golden Kite Winners". Shelf Awareness. January 22, 2020. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  49. ^ Schulte-Cooper, Laura (March 30, 2021). "ALSC names 2021 Notable Children's Books". American Library Association. Archived from the original on February 1, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  50. ^ "Best Fiction for Young Adults: 2023". Booklist. March 15, 2023. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  51. ^ "Notable Children's Books: 2023". Booklist. March 15, 2023. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  52. ^ "2023 Top Ten Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). February 1, 2023. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  53. ^ Schoenberg, Nara (March 8, 2016). "Children's book roundup: Kwame Alexander's 'Booked,' more". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on March 29, 2016. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
  54. ^ "Starred reviews, March/April 2016". Horn Book Magazine. Archived from the original on March 18, 2016. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
  55. ^ "Children's Book Review: Booked by Kwame Alexander". Publishers Weekly. March 7, 2016. Archived from the original on September 24, 2016. Retrieved March 29, 2016.

External links[edit]

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