AND I WILL FOLLOW Wins Drama Category at Indiana Authors Awards
Bennett Ayres of Indianapolis based the play on the real Sam Moser murder case from 1900.
Nine titles by Indiana authors and playwrights have been honored by the 2026 Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Awards.
Selected from numerous nominated works published in the last two years across nine categories, the winning titles were written by a diverse collection of authors, many of whom currently live in Indiana.
From rich inner worlds and devastating narratives to surprising histories and whimsical footwear, the stories and characters featured in this year's winning titles are meaningful and compelling.
The 2026 award winners are:
Drama
And I Will Follow by Bennett Ayres
Ayres grew up in Ohio, attended Depauw University, and currently lives in Indianapolis.
And I Will Follow is a play that explores faith, trauma, progress, and truth amid the backdrop of the real Sam Moser murder case of 1900. Sam was convicted of killing his wife and three children.
His work has been produced by Chicago's City Lit Theater, Franklin College, Wabash College, University of Southern Indiana, Otherworld Theatre of Chicago, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Newfields, Spirit and Place, and The Phoenix Theatre. He is a scholarship recipient for the Kenyon Playwrights Conference and recipient of an Arthur Jordan grant. Ayres was a 2020 Blue Ink finalist for Chicago's American Blues Theatre, and he currently produces educational theatre.
Fiction
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
Akbar went to school in Indiana (Purdue and Butler universities) and now lives and teaches in Iowa City, IA.
His debut novel follows a recovering addict and poet's search for meaning in art, family, and death.
Poetry
Death Styles by Joyelle McSweeney
McSweeney lives in South Bend, where she teaches at Notre Dame.
Death Styles is a torrent of poems, written in the wake of her infant daughter's death, that navigates the opposing forces of perseverance and grief.
Nonfiction
What a Building Does: The Hoosier Modernisms of Evans Woollen by Phillip Cox and Niall Cronin
Cox and Cronin are friends who grew up in Indianapolis (they met in kindergarten at St. Richard's Episcopal School) and now live in New York City.
The book surveys the design contributions of one of Indiana's native sons to some of the state's most recognizable Brutalist structures.
Debut
Level Watch by Mary Ardery
Ardery was born and raised in Bloomington, went to Depauw University, and now lives in West Lafayette.
Ardery's collection of narrative-lyric poems chronicles her experience as a wilderness guide for women recovering from addiction.
Genre
Departure 37 by Michael Koryta, writing as Scott Carson
Koryta was born and raised in Bloomington, where he currently lives.
Departure 37 is a thriller about a teenager trapped in a town she loathes encountering a disturbing military conspiracy.
Children's
Something Good by Kenneth Kraegel
Kraegel was raised in Mishawaka and now lives in Grand Rapids, MI.
The book follows a girl who wakes one morning to find a chicken on her head and a gift of magic socks which turn her day around.
Middle Grade
Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi
Safadi moved to Fishers from Syria when she was in high school and now lives in Valparaiso with her family.
Kareem Between is a novel-in-verse about a Syrian American boy figuring out who he is while striving to join his middle school's football team.
Young Adult
Under the Neon Lights by Arriel Vinson
Vinson was born and raised in Indianapolis, has lived in New York and Dallas, and has returned to Indianapolis.
Vinson's debut is a novel-in-verse about first love, female friendship, complicated family dynamics, and community building.
Supported by Glick Philanthropies and powered by Indiana Humanities, the Indiana Authors Awards are conferred every other year. Honorees have the opportunity to participate in an annual statewide speaker program and connect with readers, teachers, and students.
'My parents, Gene and Marilyn Glick, understood that a vibrant community of readers and writers makes Indiana a stronger, more thoughtful, and more connected place,' said Marianne Glick, chair of the Glick Family Foundation. 'The Indiana Authors Awards honor the remarkable writers who enrich our state while inspiring future generations to read, write, and imagine what is possible. Their legacy is not simply about celebrating authors — it is about investing in the power of stories to shape lives and build community.'
Each winner receives $5,000, a handcrafted limestone-and-steel award, and the opportunity to make a $500 donation to an Indiana library of their choice.
'At Indiana Humanities, we understand the value of great writing and its ability to foster connection,' said Shelley Hunter, president and CEO of Indiana Humanities. 'I'm certain that each of these titles will affect its readers in profound ways, and I'm grateful that we have the opportunity to honor them in this way. We couldn't celebrate the range of influential work being written in and about Indiana without the generosity of Glick Philanthropies.'
About the Indiana Authors Awards
The Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Awards honor the best books written by Indiana authors. Awarded every two years, they celebrate Indiana writers, shine a light on the Hoosier state's literary community, and deepen connections between Indiana writers and readers. They were established in 2009 as a vision of Eugene and Marilyn Glick and are a component of Indiana Humanities' rich and diverse literary programming.
