World Literature Today, the University of Oklahoma’s award-winning magazine of international literature and culture, announced late Tuesday that Elizabeth Acevedo is the winner of the 2027 NSK Neustadt Prize for Children’s and Young Adult Literature.
Kathy Neustadt made the announcement during the 2026 Neustadt Lit Fest on the University of Oklahoma campus. “Elizabeth Acevedo,” Neustadt said, “is an incredible addition to the prestigious ranks of previous winners.”
Robert Con Davis-Undiano, World Literature Today’s executive director, said that “Acevedo is a gifted writer who will extend the prestige of the NSK award to even greater heights of acclaim.”
Awarded in alternating years with the Neustadt International Prize for Literature, the NSK Prize recognizes outstanding merit in literature worldwide. Acclaimed writers and artists serve on the NSK jury. Highly respected within the literary community for its recognition of excellence, this prize is among the most important in its field.
Laureates of the NSK Neustadt Prize receive a check for $50,000, a silver medallion, and a certificate at a public ceremony at the University of Oklahoma. Hannah V. Sawyerr nominated Acevedo for the award.
Acevedo was the 2022 Young People’s Poet Laureate and the New York Times bestselling author of The Poet X, which has won many awards, including the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. Her latest book, Anger Is Only a Shadow, was released earlier this month.
In fall 2027, Acevedo is expected to attend the Neustadt Lit Fest dedicated to a celebration of her work.
