UIC authors to be honored at Carl Sandburg Literary Awards Dinner

Mary Anne Mohanraj (Photo by Jontisha Graves)

Mary Anne Mohanraj, clinical associate professor of English, and Christina Pugh, professor of English, are among 85 authors and creatives with ties to Chicago who will be honored guests at the 18th annual Carl Sandburg Literary Awards Dinner hosted by Chicago Public Library and the Chicago Public Library Foundation.

Mohanraj is the author of 12 books, including the Sri Lankan-American novel Bodies in Motion, which was a finalist for the Asian American Book Awards and has been translated into six languages.

Pugh is an award-winning poet with four full-length books of poems, including Perception, which was named one of the top poetry books of 2017 by the Chicago Review of Books.

Christina Pugh

As part of the celebrated writers group, Mohanraj and Pugh will be seated at tables with attendees to give them the opportunity to discuss their work and creative process over dinner.

In addition, author and poet Erika L. Sanchez, a 2006 UIC graduate in English (creative writing concentration) and former Honors College member, will receive the 21st Century Award presented for recent achievements by a Chicago writer. Her bestselling debut novel, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, was named a 2017 finalist for the National Book Award for young people’s literature.

Erika L. Sanchez

This year’s Carl Sandburg Literary Award will be presented to author Judy Blume and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. The evening fundraising event will feature a conversation with Blume and Tyson moderated by National Public Radio host Scott Simon.

The 18th annual Carl Sandburg Literary Awards Dinner will be held Oct. 9 at the UIC Dorin Forum, 725 W. Roosevelt Rd. For more information, visit cplfoundation.org