The PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award is for U.S. multicultural writers, to "promote works of excellence by writers of all cultural and racial backgrounds and to educate both the public and the media as to the nature of multicultural work." It was founded by

PEN Oakland PEN Oakland is a branch of PEN, an international literary and human rights organization. PEN Oakland was founded in 1989 by Ishmael Reed and co-founders Floyd Salas, Claire Ortalda and Reginald Lockett. PEN Oakland annually sponsors the PEN Oaklan ...

in 1991 and named in honor of

Josephine Miles Josephine Louise Miles (June 11, 1911 – May 12, 1985) was an American poet and literary critic; the first woman tenured in the English department at the University of California, Berkeley. She wrote over a dozen books of poetry and several wor ...

. PEN Oakland was founded in 1989. The award was dubbed the "Blue Collar PEN Award" by ''The New York Times''. In 1997, Pen Oakland inaugurated its PEN Oakland/Gary Webb Anti-Censorship Award to protest censorship practices within the U.S. Other awards are the PEN Oakland/Reginald Lockett Lifetime Achievement Award established in 2006; and the PEN Oakland/Adelle Foley Award established in 2016 and "given to a work, not fiction or poetry, that has done much to improve the relations between people in American society." Although PEN Oakland unsuccessfully attempted to become the USA's third PEN center, the attempt did succeed in opening the doors for PEN Oakland to become a full chapter of the

PEN Center USA PEN Center USA was a branch of PEN, an international literary and human rights organization. It was one of two PEN International Centers in the United States, the other being the PEN America in New York City. On March 1, 2018, PEN Center USA unifi ...

. PEN Oakland also introduced a resolution for more equitable media coverage of minorities and ethnic groups. The group sponsored the Oakland Literature Expo portion of the City of Oakland’s Art & Soul Festival from 2001 through 2004. The award is one of many PEN awards sponsored by International PEN affiliates in over 145 PEN centres around the world.

Josephine Miles Award

Source: *2021

Joy Harjo Joy Harjo ( ; born May 9, 1951) is an American poet, musician, playwright, and author. She served as the 23rd United States Poet Laureate, the first Native American to hold that honor. She was also only the second Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetr ...

LeAnne Howe LeAnne Howe (born April 29, 1951, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) is an American author and Eidson Distinguished Professor in the Department of English at the University of Georgia, Athens. She previously taught American Indian Studies and English ...

, and Jennifer Foerster; Nguyen Phan Que Mai;

Derf Backderf John Backderf (born October 31, 1959), also known as Derf or Derf Backderf, is an American cartoonist. He is most famous for his graphic novels, especially ''My Friend Dahmer'', the international bestseller which won an Angoulême Prize, and ea ...

; Christopher Bernard;

Daphne Brooks Daphne Brooks (born 1968) is William R. Kenan, Jr. professor of African American studies, American Studies, Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies and Music at Yale University; she is also director of graduate studies. She specializes in African ...

;

Nikki Giovanni Yolande Cornelia "Nikki" Giovanni Jr. (born June 7, 1943) is an American poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. One of the world's most well-known African-American poets,Jane M. Barstow, Yolanda Williams Page (eds)"Nikki Giovanni" ''E ...

;

Terry McMillan Terry McMillan (born October 18, 1951) is an American novelist. Her work centers around the experiences of Black women in the United States. Early life McMillan was born in Port Huron, Michigan. She received a B.A. in journalism in 1977 from ...

*2020 Nick Estes, Sigrun Susan Lane,

Jericho Brown Jericho Brown (born April 14, 1976) is an American poet and writer. Born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana, Brown has worked as an educator at institutions such as University of Houston, San Diego State University, and Emory University. His poe ...

, Maya Khosla,

Jillian Weise Jillian is both a feminine given name and a surname. A spelling variant of Gillian, it originates as a feminine form of the given name Julian, Julio, Julius, and Julien. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Jillian Armenante (b ...

Jia Tolentino Jia Angeli Carla Tolentino (born 1988) is an American writer and editor. A staff writer for ''The New Yorker,'' she previously worked as deputy editor of ''Jezebel'' and a contributing editor at '' The Hairpin''. Her writing has also appeared in ...

, Stephanie McCurry *2019

Richard Powers Richard Powers (born June 18, 1957) is an American novelist whose works explore the effects of modern science and technology. His novel '' The Echo Maker'' won the 2006 National Book Award for Fiction.Alicia Garza,

Opal Tometi Opal is a hydrated amorphous form of silica (SiO2·''n''H2O); its water content may range from 3 to 21% by weight, but is usually between 6 and 10%. Due to its amorphous property, it is classified as a mineraloid, unlike crystalline forms ...

and Patrisse Khan-Cullers;

Ha Jin Jin Xuefei (; born February 21, 1956) is a Chinese-American poet and novelist using the pen name Ha Jin (). ''Ha'' comes from his favorite city, Harbin. His poetry is associated with the Misty Poetry movement. Early life Ha Jin was born in ...

; Jamel Brinkley; David Blight;

Kalamu ya Salaam Kalamu ya Salaam (born March 24, 1947) is an American poet, author, filmmaker, and teacher from the 9th Ward of New Orleans. A well-known activist and social critic, Salaam has spoken out on a number of racial and human rights issues. For years h ...

; Vernon Keeve III; James Cagney,

Jason Lutes Jason Lutes (born December 7, 1967)
at Comic Creator is an American

Andrew Sean Greer Andrew Sean Greer (born November 1970) is an American novelist and short story writer. Greer received the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel ''Less''. He is the author of ''The Story of a Marriage'', which ''The New York Times'' has ...

Jerome Rothenberg Jerome Rothenberg (born December 11, 1931) is an American poet, translator and anthologist, noted for his work in the fields of ethnopoetics and performance poetry. Early life and education Jerome Rothenberg was born and raised in New York ...

, Julie Lythcott-Haims, M.L. Liebler, Paul Ortiz,

Percival Everett Percival Everett (born December 22, 1956) is an American writer and Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Southern California. Life Everett lives in Los Angeles, California. Literary career While completing his AM degree at B ...

, Tongo Eisen-Martin *2017 Randa Jarrar, Gerald Horne, MK Chavez,

Nancy Isenberg Nancy G. Isenberg is an American historian, and T. Harry Williams Professor of history at Louisiana State University. Life She graduated from Rutgers University, and University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (o ...

, Arturo Mantecon, Kurt Schweigman and Lucille Lang Day,

John Edgar Wideman John Edgar Wideman (born June 14, 1941) is an American novelist, short story writer, memoirist, and essayist. He was the first person to win the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction twice. His writing is known for experimental techniques and a focus o ...

*2016 Elizabeth Alexander,

Ta-Nehisi Coates Ta-Nehisi Paul Coates ( ; born September 30, 1975) is an American author and journalist. He gained a wide readership during his time as national correspondent at ''The Atlantic'', where he wrote about cultural, social, and political issues, parti ...

, Frances Gateward, Latif Harris,

Juan Felipe Herrera Juan Felipe Herrera (born in December 27, 1948) is an American poet, performer, writer, cartoonist, teacher, and activist. Herrera was the 21st United States Poet Laureate from 2015 to 2017. Herrera's experiences as the child of migrant farmers ...

, John Jennings,

Gerald Vizenor Gerald is a male Germanic given name meaning "rule of the spear" from the prefix ''ger-'' ("spear") and suffix ''-wald'' ("rule"). Variants include the English given name Jerrold, the feminine nickname Jeri and the Welsh language Gerallt and ...

*2015

Natasha Trethewey Natasha Trethewey (born April 26, 1966) is an American poet who was appointed United States Poet Laureate in 2012 and again in 2013. She won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry for her 2006 collection ''Native Guard'', and she is a former Poet L ...

, Lenelle Moïse,

Claudia Rankine Claudia Rankine (; born September 4, 1963) is an American poet, essayist, playwright and the editor of several anthologies. She is the author of five volumes of poetry, two plays and various essays. Her book of poetry, '' Citizen: An American L ...

, Peter Herris,

Deborah A. Miranda Deborah A. Miranda is a Native American writer, poet, and professor of English at Washington and Lee University. Her father, Alfred Edward Robles Miranda is from the Esselen and Chumash people, native to the Santa Barbara/Santa Ynez/Monterey, Ca ...

Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (born September 10, 1938) is an American historian, writer, and activist, known for her 2014 book ''An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States''. Early life and education Born in San Antonio, Texas, in 1938 to ...

*2014 Daniel Chacon,

Edwidge Danticat Edwidge Danticat (; born January 19, 1969) is a Haitian-American novelist and short story writer. Her first novel, ''Breath, Eyes, Memory'', was published in 1994 and went on to become an Oprah's Book Club selection. Danticat has since written or ...

, Claudia Moreno Pisano, Roger Reeves,

Nina Serrano Nina Serrano (born 1934) is an American poet, writer, storyteller, and independent media producer who lives in Vallejo, California. She is the author of ''Heart Songs: The Collected Poems of Nina Serrano'' (1980) and ''Pass it on!: How to sta ...

, Akinyele Omowale Umoja *2013

Andrew Lam Andrew Lam (born 1964) is a Vietnamese American author and journalist who has written about the Overseas Vietnamese experience. Biography Andrew Lam was born Lâm Quang Dũng in 1964 in South Vietnam. He led a privileged life as the son of Gen ...

, Luis J. Rodriguez, Denise M. Sandoval, Lucille Lang Day,

Toni Morrison Chloe Anthony Wofford Morrison (born Chloe Ardelia Wofford; February 18, 1931 – August 5, 2019), known as Toni Morrison, was an American novelist. Her first novel, ''The Bluest Eye'', was published in 1970. The critically acclaimed '' So ...

Tim Seibles Tim Seibles (born 1955) is an American poet, professor and the former Poet Laureate of Virginia. He is the author of five collections of poetry, most recently, ''Voodoo Libretto: New and Selected Poems'' (Etruscan Press, 2022). His honors include ...

, Christopher Wagstaff *2012 Melinda Palacio, Michael Warr, Aurora Harris,

Deena Metzger Deena Metzger (born September 17, 1936) is an American writer, healer, and teacher whose work spans multiple genres including the novel, poetry, non-fiction, and plays. Her novel ''La Negra y Blanca'' won the 2012 Oakland Pen Award for Literatur ...

Ed Sanders Edward Sanders (born August 17, 1939) is an American poet, singer, activist, author, publisher and longtime member of the rock band the Fugs. He has been called a bridge between the Beat and hippie generations. Sanders is considered to have be ...

, Mary Mackey,

Jesmyn Ward Jesmyn Ward (born April 1, 1977) is an American novelist and a Professor of English at Tulane University, where she holds the Andrew W. Mellon Professorship in the Humanities. She won the 2011 National Book Award for Fiction for her second novel ...

*2011 Devreaux Baker, N. Banerjee, J. P. Dancing Bear,

John Farris John Lee Farris (born July 26, 1936) is an American writer, known largely for his work in the southern Gothic genre. Life Farris was born in Jefferson City, Missouri, to parents John Linder Farris (1909–1982) and Eleanor Carter Farris (190 ...

Jim Harrison James Harrison (December 11, 1937 – March 26, 2016) was an American poet, novelist, and essayist. He was a prolific and versatile writer publishing over three dozen books in several genres including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, children’s ...

, S. Kaipa, Lola Shoneyin, Barry Spector, P. Sundaralingam, Susan Suntree, Gary Snyder, Eric Miles Willamson *2010 Clifton Ross,

Elizabeth Nunez Elizabeth Nunez is a Trinidadian American novelist and Distinguished Professor of English at Hunter College– CUNY, New York City. Her novels have won a number of awards: ''Prospero's Daughter'' received the ''New York Times'' Editors' Choice ...

Etel Adnan Etel Adnan ( ar, إيتيل عدنان; 24 February 1925 – 14 November 2021) was a Lebanese-American poet, essayist, and visual artist. In 2003, Adnan was named "arguably the most celebrated and accomplished Arab American author writing today" ...

, Manuel Ruben Delgado, Andrena Zawinski, Maria Espinosa,

Mitch Horowitz Mitch Horowitz (born November 23, 1965) is an American writer in occult and esoteric themes. He is the former editor-in-chief of TarcherPerigee. A frequent writer and speaker on religion and metaphysics in print and on television, radio, and onl ...

, Ivan J. Houston *2009 Doren Robbins, Charles L. Robinson &

Al Young Albert James Young (May 31, 1939 – April 17, 2021) was an American poet, novelist, essayist, screenwriter, and professor. He was named Poet Laureate of California by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger from 2005 to 2008. Young's many books includ ...

Herbert Gold Herbert Gold (born March 9, 1924) is an American novelist. Early life Gold was born on March 9, 1924 in Cleveland, Ohio, in to a Russian Jewish family. His parents were Samuel S. and Frieda (Frankel) Gold. His father ran a fruit store and later a ...

, Janice Blue, C. Paolo Caruso,

Richard Bruce Nugent Richard Bruce Nugent (July 2, 1906 – May 27, 1987), aka Richard Bruce and Bruce Nugent, was a gay writer and painter in the Harlem Renaissance. Despite being a part of a group of many gay Harlem artists, Nugent was among only a few who we ...

*2008

Joanne Kyger Joanne Kyger (November 19, 1934 – March 22, 2017) was an American poet. The author of over 30 books of poetry and prose, Kyger was associated with the poets of the San Francisco Renaissance, the Beat Generation, Black Mountain, and the New ...

, Rosa Martha Villarreal,

Rebecca Solnit Rebecca Solnit (born 1961) is an American writer. She has written on a variety of subjects, including feminism, the environment, politics, place, and art. Early life and education Solnit was born in 1961 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to a Jewish fa ...

Colleen J. McElroy Colleen J. McElroy (born October 31, 1935 in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American poet, short story writer, editing, editor, memoirist. Life She graduated from Kansas State University (1958) and from the University of Washington with a Ph.D. (197 ...

, Cecil Brown,

Colson Whitehead Arch Colson Chipp Whitehead (born November 6, 1969) is an American novelist. He is the author of eight novels, including his 1999 debut work '' The Intuitionist''; '' The Underground Railroad'' (2016), for which he won the 2016 National Book Awa ...

*2007 Will Alexander, Karla Andersdatter, Kathleen de Azevedo, Steve Dalachinsky, Adam P. Kennedy, William Poy Lee, Lorena Oropeza & Dionne Espinoza,

Harriet A. Washington Harriet A. Washington is an American writer and medical ethicist. She is the author of the book ''Medical Apartheid'', which won the 2007 National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction. She has also written books on environmental racism and the ...

*2006

David Hilliard David Hilliard (born May 15, 1942) is a former member of the Black Panther Party, having served as Chief of Staff. He became a visiting instructor at the University of New Mexico in 2006. He also is the founder of the Dr. Huey P. Newton foundatio ...

, Mike Madison,

Gerald Haslam Gerald William Haslam (March 18, 1937 – April 13, 2021) was an author focused on rural and small towns in California's Great Central Valley including its poor and working-class people of all colors. A native of Oildale, California, Haslam has ...

, Eric Gansworth, Jennifer Murphy, Mona Lisa Saloy, Richard Silberg, A. D. Winans *2005 David Meltzer,

Neeli Cherkovski Neeli Cherkovski (born Nelson Cherry; July 1, 1945) is an American poet and memoirist, who has resided since 1975 in San Francisco. Biography Born in Santa Monica, California, Cherkovski grew up in San Bernardino, California. In the 1970s he wa ...

Derek Walcott Sir Derek Alton Walcott (23 January 1930 – 17 March 2017) was a Saint Lucian poet and playwright. He received the 1992 Nobel Prize in Literature. His works include the Homeric epic poem ''Omeros'' (1990), which many critics view "as Walcot ...

Jeffery Paul Chan Jeffery Paul Chan (August 19, 1942 – January 11, 2022) was an American author and scholar. He was a professor of Asian American studies and English at San Francisco State University for 38 years until his retirement in 2005. Biography Chan w ...

Suhayl Saadi Suhayl Saadi (born 1961, Beverley, Yorkshire) is a physician, author and dramatist based in Glasgow, Scotland. His varied literary output includes novels, short stories, Anthology, anthologies of fiction, song lyrics, plays for stage and Radio dram ...

, Aldon Lynn Nielsen *2004

Edgardo Vega Yunqué Edgardo Vega Yunqué (May 20, 1936August 26, 2008) was a Puerto Rican novelist and short story writer, who also used the Americanized pen name Ed Vega. Early years Edgardo Vega Yunqué was born in Ponce, to Alberto Vega, a Baptist ministe ...

, Noemi Sohn, Lewis Robinson, Monique Truong,

Jill Nelson Jill Nelson (born June 14, 1952) is a prominent African-American journalist and novelist. She has written several books, including the autobiographical ''Volunteer Slavery: My Authentic Negro Experience'', which won an American Book Award. She wa ...

, Fred Reiss *2003

Clive Matson Clive Matson (born March 13, 1941) is an American direct expression lyric poet and creative writing teacher. Biography Early life Clive Matson was born in Los Angeles, California in 1941, the middle child of five. His father, Randolph Matson, ...

and Allan Cohen,

Gail Tsukiyama Gail Tsukiyama is an American novelist from San Francisco, California, USA. Early life Tsukiyama was born in San Francisco, to a Japanese father and a Chinese mother. She attended San Francisco State University, where she received both her Bach ...

, Paul Flores,

Ghada Karmi Ghada Karmi ( ar, غادة كرمي, ; born 1939) is a Palestinian-born academic, physician and author. She has written on Palestinian issues in newspapers and magazines, including ''The Guardian'', ''The Nation'' and ''Journal of Palestine Studi ...

Jack Hirschman Jack Hirschman (December 13, 1933 – August 22, 2021) was an American poet and social activist who wrote more than 100 volumes of poetry and essays. Biography Hirschman was born in New York City to a Russian Jewish family. He received a B.A. ...

, Luis J. Rodriguez, Jewel Parker Rhodes *2002 A. Van Jordon,

Nathalie Handal Nathalie Handal is an American poet, writer and educator, described as a “contemporary Orpheus.” A New Yorker of Mediterranean roots, she has published seven prize-winning collections, including ''Life in a Country Album.'' She is praised fo ...

, Myronn Hardy,

Agha Shahid Ali Agha Shahid Ali (4 February 1949 – 8 December 2001) was an Indian-born poet who immigrated to the United States, and became affiliated with the literary movement known as New Formalism in American poetry. His collections include ''A Walk ...

, Charles Rubin *2001

Mary Monroe Mary Monroe is a ''New York Times'' bestselling African-American fiction author."My Novels"
Mary Monroe Officia ...

, Dan Leone,

Yehuda Amichai Yehuda Amichai ( he, יהודה עמיחי; born Ludwig Pfeuffer 3 May 1924 – 22 September 2000) was an Israeli poet and author, one of the first to write in colloquial Hebrew in modern times. Amichai was awarded the 1957 Shlonsky Prize, the ...

, Lesa Lowitz,

Leslie Marmon Silko Leslie Marmon Silko (born Leslie Marmon; born March 5, 1948) is an American writer. A Laguna Pueblo Indian woman, she is one of the key figures in the First Wave of what literary critic Kenneth Lincoln has called the Native American Renaissance ...

Jervey Tervalon Jervey is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Caroline Howard Jervey (1823–1877), American author, poet * Huger Jervey (1878–1949), American lawyer and law professor * Patty Jervey (born 1964), American rugby union player *Tra ...

*2000

Jose Garcia Villa Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods. *Jose ben Abin *Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galilean ...

Elmaz Abinader Elmaz Abinader (born 1954 in Pennsylvania) is an American author, poet, performer, English professor at Mills College and co-founder of the Voices of Our Nation Arts Foundation, Voices of Our Nation Arts Foundation (VONA). She is of Lebanon, Leb ...

Wendy Doniger Wendy Doniger O'Flaherty (born November 20, 1940) is an American Indologist whose professional career has spanned five decades. A scholar of Sanskrit and Indian textual traditions, her major works include, 'The Hindus: an alternative history'; ' ...

, Rabbi Alan Lew,

Nathan Englander Nathan Englander (born 1970) is an American short story writer and novelist. His debut short story collection, ''For the Relief of Unbearable Urges,'' was published by Alfred A. Knopf, in 1999. His second collection, ''What We Talk About When We T ...

Eleanor Taylor Bland Eleanor Taylor Bland (December 31, 1944 – June 2, 2010) was an African-American writer of crime fiction. She was the creator of Lincoln Prairie, Illinois (based on Waukegan, Illinois) police detective Marti McAllister. Biography Bland was b ...

*1999 Darryl Babe Wilson, Mike Davis, Elaine Marcus Starkman & Marsha Lee Berkman,

Ruth Forman Ruth Forman is an American poet. Her content focuses on spirituality, love, challenge, and grace. She currently travels around the United States performing readings from her recent publication; Prayers Like Shoes, and her children's book; Young C ...

, Koon Woon, Clyde P. Taylor *1998 John Mulligan, Ibrahim Fawal,

Alfred Arteaga Alfred Arteaga (1950 – July 4, 2008) was a Mexican-American poet, writer, and scholar. He was noted as an important poet of the Chicano Movement, who also contributed to the foundations postcolonial and ethnic studies. Themes He envisioned C ...

, Leslie Woodd, Marketa Groves *1997 Devorah Major,

Julie Shigekuni Julie Shigekuni (born 1962) is an American writer and professor. Her novels include ''A Bridge Between Us'', ''Invisible Gardens'', ''Unending Nora'', and ''In Plain View'', and she has won a PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award. She is Pro ...

, Michael Lally,

Kevin Killian Kevin Killian (December 24, 1952 – June 15, 2019) was an American poet, author, editor, and playwright primarily of LGBT literature. ''My Vocabulary Did This to Me: The Collected Poetry of Jack Spicer'', which he co-edited with Peter Gizzi, wo ...

Ray Gonzalez Ray may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin Science and mathematics * Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point * Ray (gra ...

*1996

Pierre Joris Pierre Joris (born July 14, 1946) is a Luxembourg-American poet, essayist, translator, and anthologist. He has moved between Europe, North Africa & the US for 55 years, publishing over 80 books of poetry, essays, translations & anthologies — mo ...

Norman Mailer Nachem Malech Mailer (January 31, 1923 – November 10, 2007), known by his pen name Norman Kingsley Mailer, was an American novelist, journalist, essayist, playwright, activist, filmmaker and actor. In a career spanning over six decades, Mailer ...

, Reginald Lockett,

Barbara Guest Barbara Guest, ''née'' Barbara Ann Pinson (September 6, 1920 – February 15, 2006), was an American poet and prose stylist. Guest first gained recognition as a member of the first generation New York School of poetry. Guest wrote more than ...

Chitra Divakaruni Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (born Chitralekha Banerjee, 1956) is an Indian-born American author, poet, and the Betty and Gene McDavid Professor of Writing at the University of Houston Creative Writing Program. Her short story collection, ''Arrang ...

*1995 Alma Luz Villanueva, E. Ethelbert Miller,

Michael McClure Michael McClure (October 20, 1932 – May 4, 2020) was an American poet, playwright, songwriter, and novelist. After moving to San Francisco as a young man, he found fame as one of the five poets (including Allen Ginsberg) who read at the famous ...

Marilyn Chin Marilyn Chin (陈美玲) is a prominent Chinese American poet, writer, activist, and feminist, as well as an editor and Professor of English. She is well-represented in major canonical anthologies and textbooks and her work is taught all over th ...

, Juvenal Acosta *1994 Peter J. Harris, Phyllis Burke, Brenda Lane Richardson, Clifford E. Trafzer,

Russell Leong Russell Charles Leong (born 1950) is an academic editor, professor, writer, and long-time Chen-style t'ai chi ch'uan student. The long-time editor of Amerasia Journal (1977–2010), Leong was an adjunct professor of English and Asian-American Studi ...

, Paula Woods, Felix Liddell *1993 Francisco X. Alarcon,

Opal Palmer Adisa Opal Palmer Adisa (born 6 November 1954) is a Jamaica-born award-winning poet, novelist, performance artist and educator. Anthologized in more than 400 publications, she has been a regular performer of her work internationally. Professor Emeritu ...

, Lucha Corpi, Sylvia Lopez-Medina,

Louis Owens Louis Dean Owens (Lompoc July 18, 1948 - Albuquerque, July 25, 2002) was a novelist and scholar who claimed Choctaw, Cherokee, and Irish-American descent. He is known for a series of Native-themed mystery novels and for his contributions to the ...

, Sylvia Watanabe *1992 Luis J. Rodriguez,

David Mura David Mura (born 1952) is an American author, poet, novelist, playwright, critic and performance artist whose writings explore the themes of race, identity and history. In 2018, Mura has published a book on creative writing, ''A Stranger’s Jour ...

, Louis Edwards, Thomas King,

David Ignatow David Ignatow (February 7, 1914 – November 17, 1997) was an American poet and editor. Life David Ignatow was born in Brooklyn on February 7, 1914, and spent most of his life in the New York City area. He died on November 17, 1997, at his ...

Julia Alvarez Julia Alvarez (born March 27, 1950) is an American New Formalist poet, novelist, and essayist. She rose to prominence with the novels ''How the García Girls Lost Their Accents'' (1991), '' In the Time of the Butterflies'' (1994), and ''Yo!'' ...

*1991

Jess Mowry Jess Mowry (born March 27, 1960 near Starkville, Mississippi) is an American author of books and stories for children and young adults. He has written eighteen books and many short stories for and about black children and teens in a variety of g ...

Li-Young Lee Li-Young Lee (李立揚, pinyin: Lǐ Lìyáng) (born August 19, 1957) is an American poet. He was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, to Chinese parents. His maternal great-grandfather was Yuan Shikai, China's first Republican President, who attempted ...

Gerald Stern Gerald Daniel Stern (February 22, 1925 – October 27, 2022) was an American poet, essayist, and educator. The author of twenty collections of poetry and four books of essays, he taught literature and creative writing at Temple University, Indi ...

Gary Webb Anti-Censorship Award

Source: *2021 -

Roxane Gay Roxane Gay (born October 15, 1974) is an American writer, professor, editor, and social commentator. Gay is the author of ''The New York Times'' best-selling essay collection ''Bad Feminist'' (2014), as well as the short story collection ''Ayiti ...

*2020 -

Omarosa Manigault Newman Omarosa Onee Manigault Newman () ( Manigault; born 1974), often known as Omarosa, is an American reality television show participant, writer, and former political aide to former US President Donald Trump. She became widely known as a contestant ...

*2019 - Kim Shuck *2018 - The Honorable

Libby Schaaf Elizabeth Beckman Schaaf (born November 12, 1965) is an American politician who has been Mayor of Oakland, California since 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served on the Oakland City Council. Schaaf won the November 4, 20 ...

*2016 -

Museum of the African Diaspora The Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) is a contemporary art museum in San Francisco, California. MoAD holds exhibitions and presents artists exclusively of the African diaspora, one of only a few museums of its kind in the United States. Locate ...

*2015 - Lincoln Bergman *2014 - Abraham Bolden *2013 -

Chris Hedges Christopher Lynn Hedges (born September 18, 1956) is an American journalist, Presbyterian minister, author, and commentator. In his early career, Hedges worked as a freelance war correspondent in Central America for ''The Christian Science Mon ...

*2012 - Alexander Cockburn *2011 - WikiLeaks & Carole Simpson *2010 - Richard Prince *2009 - Jefferson Morely *2008 - Project Censored *2007 - Greg Palast *2006 - Bill Moyers *2005 - Kitty Kelley *2004 - George Julius Theodule *2003 -

Sam Hamill Sam Hamill (May 9, 1943 – April 14, 2018) was an American poet and the co-founder of Copper Canyon Press along with Bill O’Daly and Tree Swenson. He also initiated the Poets Against War movement (2003) in response to the Iraq War. In 2003 Ha ...

*2002 -

Barbara Lee Barbara Jean Lee (née Tutt; born July 16, 1946) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for . Now in her 12th term, Lee has served since 1998, and is a member of the Democratic Party. The district, numbered as the 9th di ...

*2001 - William Mandel, Rabbi Michael Lerner, Daniel Hernandez *2000 - Robert Parry *1999 - Mumia Abu-Jamal, Gary Webb *1998 -

Gerald Nicosia Gerald Nicosia (born November 18, 1949, in Berwyn, Illinois) is an American author, poet, journalist, interviewer, and literary critic. He is based in Knoxville, Tennessee. About Nicosia received a B.A. and an M.A. in English and American Lite ...

*1997 - Floyd Salas

Reginald Lockett Lifetime Achievement Award

Source: *2021 -

Genny Lim Genny (Genevieve) Lim was born on 15 December 1946, in San Francisco, California. She is an American poet, playwright, and performer. She served as the Chair of Community Arts and Education Committee, and as Chair of the Advisory Board for the San ...

*2020 - Thomas Sanchez (writer), Robert Sward *2019 - Percival Everet *2018 -

Ana Castillo Ana Castillo (born June 15, 1953) is a Chicana novelist, poet, short story writer, essayist, editor, playwright, translator and independent scholar. Considered one of the leading voices in Chicana experience, Castillo is known for her experiment ...

*2016 -

Clarence Major Clarence Major (born December 31, 1936) is an American poet, painter, and novelist; winner of the 2015 "Lifetime Achievement Award in the Fine Arts", presented by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. He was awarded the 2016 PEN Oakland/Reg ...

*2015 - Avotcja,

Marvin X Marvin X (born Marvin Ellis Jackmon; May 29, 1944) is a poet, playwright and essayist. Born in Fowler, California, he has taken the Muslim name El Muhajir ("the expatriate" in Arabic) . His work has been associated with the Black Arts/Black ...

*2014 - Askia M. Toure *2013 - Jesse Douglas Taylor *2012 - Q.R. Hand *2011 -

Adam David Miller Adam David Miller (October 8, 1922 – November 4, 2020) was an American poet, writer, publisher, and radio programmer and producer. Born in Saint George, South Carolina, Miller published one of the first collections of modern African-American poet ...

*2010 - Paul Krassner, Vance Bourjaily *2009 - A.D. Winans, Harriet Rohmer, Kristin Hunter Lattany *2008 - Reginald Lockett, Adrienne Kennedy,

Diane di Prima Diane di Prima (August 6, 1934October 25, 2020) was an American poet, known for her association with the Beat movement. She was also an artist, prose writer, and teacher. Her magnum opus is widely considered to be ''Loba'', a collection of poem ...

*2007 - Andy Ross *2006 - Joyce Jenkins

Adelle Foley Award

Source: *2021 - Margaret Porter Troupe,

Gavin Newsom Gavin Christopher Newsom (born October 10, 1967) is an American politician and businessman who has been the 40th governor of California since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 49th lieutenant governor of California fr ...

*2020 -

Henry Dumas Henry Dumas (July 20, 1934 – May 23, 1968) was an American writer and poet. He has been called "an absolute genius" by Toni Morrison, who as a commissioning editor at Random House published posthumous collections both of his poetry, ''Play Ebo ...

*2019 -

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (; ; born October 13, 1989), also known by her initials AOC, is an American politician and activist. She has served as the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district since 2019, as a member of th ...

*2018 - Avotcja *2016 - Shira A. Scheindlin

Reginald Martin Award for Excellence in Criticism

*2021 - Jerry W. Ward, Jr.

References

External links

PEN Oakland awards
{{DEFAULTSORT:PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Literary Award Awards established in 1991 1991 establishments in California Literary awards honoring minority groups San Francisco Bay Area literature Culture of Oakland, California