Dayton Literary Peace Prize

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Dayton Literary Peace Prize

Recognizing the power of the written word to promote peace and nonviolence, the Dayton Literary Peac

17/06/2026

The Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation is honored to announce the recipient of the 2026 Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award.

Named in honor of Ambassador Holbrooke, whose diplomacy helped make Dayton synonymous with peace around the world, this award recognizes a writer whose body of work reflects the enduring power of literature to foster understanding, compassion, and peace.

We are proud to recognize Ann Patchett for a distinguished literary legacy and lasting contribution to the pursuit of peace through the written word.

Learn more about this year's recipient on our website.

17/06/2026

📖 The 2026 Dayton Literary Peace Prize Nonfiction Finalists have been announced. 📖

This year's finalists offer powerful perspectives on our world and demonstrate how literature can foster empathy, dialogue, and understanding.

Congratulations to these outstanding authors! Tell us which book is already on your reading list and explore the full list of finalists on our website.

Eve L. Ewing Kevin Sack

17/06/2026

📚 Announcing the 2026 Dayton Literary Peace Prize Fiction Finalists! 📚

These remarkable works use the power of storytelling to deepen understanding, challenge assumptions, and illuminate the human experience.

Congratulations to this year's finalists. We invite you to explore their books, celebrate their achievements, and share which title you're most excited to read.

View the full list of finalists on our website.

10/06/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us last Thursday for an engaging evening with Jordan Ritter Conn, author of American Men.

Jordan said, "I’ve built my career talking with men about subjects they supposedly don’t want to talk about and this book was the meaty idea that I could weave several stories together to create this book. These are intimate stories about real people’s lives”.

A special thank you to Tom Lasley for leading such a dynamic conversation. The audience brought great energy to the Q&A, asking thoughtful questions that made the evening even richer.

We were also delighted to see so many attendees meet Jordan and have their books signed.

And thank you to Half Price Books for providing copies of American Men and helping make the event a success.

Events like these remind us of the power of literature to spark conversation.

Did you attend? Share your biggest takeaway in the comments.

04/06/2026

This evening we welcome Jordan Ritter Conn to Dayton for a conversation about his new book, American Men.

We're looking forward to asking the questions that have stayed with us since we first heard about the book—identity, belonging, ambition, friendship, and what shapes the people we become.

If you're joining us at 5:30 p.m. - Sinclair College - Building 12 - we can't wait to see you.

If you can't make it, follow us…..
We'll be sharing highlights, quotes, and takeaways from Jordan's interview in the coming days.

There's still time to RSVP if you'd like to be part of the conversation: bit.ly/DLPP_JordanRitterConn

From our DLPP Team

19/05/2026

📚 Our First Readers are wrapping up their reviews and we are preparing for the upcoming finalists announcement!

Kelly Maxwell generously shared her peaceful reading nook with us. We always enjoy getting a glimpse into the spaces where our First Readers spend time thoughtfully engaging with stories centered on peace, empathy, and understanding.

These quiet moments of reading are an important part of the work behind the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation and we’re grateful for the care our readers bring to every book.

Our finalists announcement is coming in June. Stay tuned!

And tell us in the comments—where is your favorite place to read?

Follow us on Instagram for more stories from the DLPP community.

12/05/2026

What does it mean to be a man in America today? That's the question at the heart of American Men — and on June 4, you can hear its author explore the answer in person.

Free event! RSVP here: bit.ly/DLPP_JordanRitterConn

The Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation welcomes journalist and author Jordan Ritter Conn.

In conversation with Jordan will be Tom Lasley — CEO Emeritus of Learn to Earn Dayton, and Director of Policy and Advocacy for the Montgomery County Educational Service Center. Lasley is also a professor emeritus at the University of Dayton and a member of the Board of Trustees for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation.

Jordan Ritter Conn's new book follows four diverse men through experiences of identity, trauma, and societal pressure — told with the empathy and precision you'd expect from a staff writer at The Ringer whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Sports Illustrated, and beyond.

He's also a 2021 DLPP Nonfiction Runner-up for The Road from Raqqa.

📅 June 4 | 5:30–7:00 pm
📍Sinclair College | Bldg. 12, Smith Auditorium

07/05/2026

Join us as the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation welcomes journalist and author Jordan Ritter Conn.

June 4, 5:30 - 7pm
Sinclair College | Bldg 12, Smith Auditorium
RSVP for this free event here: https://bit.ly/DLPP_JordanRitterConn

Jordan will discuss his new book, American Men, a compelling work of narrative nonfiction that explores modern masculinity through the lives of four diverse men—offering an empathetic look at identity, trauma, and societal pressures.

Conn, a runner-up for the 2021 Dayton Literary Peace Prize in Nonfiction for The Road from Raqqa, is a staff writer for The Ringer and a widely published journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, and more.

Address

P. O. Box 461 Wright Brothers Branch

45409-0461

Website

http://www.daytonliterarypeaceprize.org/

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