The will honor two nonfiction books that focus on the nation's criminal justice system and its connections to race and inequality.
"Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson was named the winner of the prize today, with "The Short And Tragic Life of Robert Peace" named nonfiction runner-up.
Stevenson, a lawyer and social justice advocate, spoke to St. Louis Public School teachers last month, telling them, “When I come to St. Louis, when I come to Missouri, I cannot judge our education system by seeing how they treat the rich kids, the powerful kids, the talented kids. I have to look at how we’re treating the poor, the marginalized, the disabled.â€
On the fiction front, "The Great Glass Sea" by Josh Weil, will receive the award, with the popular World War II novel "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr named the fiction runner-up.Â
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Weil's story is about a dystopian Russia where twin brothers are turned into ideological pawns.
The award, inspired by the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords that ended the war in Bosnia, will be give out Nov. 1 in Dayton, Ohio.
Gloria Steinem, longtime advocate for women's rights, will be the recipient of the 2015 Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award.
