Books on slavery, prison system win literary prizes

NEW YORK – Books on slavery, the prison system and the Harlem Renaissance are among this year’s winners of J. Anthony Lukas prizes, named for the late author and journalist.

Shane Bauer’s “American Prison: Reporter’s Undercover Journey into the Business of Punishment” won the $10,000 Lukas Book Prize for writing that combines “literary grace,” deep research and social impact. Two books won the $25,000 Lukas Work-In-Progress Awards: Maurice Chammah’s “Let the Lord Sort Them” and Steven Dudley’s “Mara: The Making of the MS-13.”

Andrew Delbanco’s “The War Before the War,” a history of fugitive slaves; and Jeffrey C. Stewart’s biography of Harlem Renaissance leader Alain Locke, “The New Negro,” each won $10,000 Mark Lynton History prizes.

The Columbia Journalism School and the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard announced the awards Wednesday.