Chairman of the Anisfield-Wolf Jury, Henry Louis Jnr who praised the singular achievement of the Nobel Laureate also revealed that "The 2013 Anisfield-Wolf winners are exemplars who broaden our vision of race and diversity.
This year, there is exceptional writing about the war in Iraq, slavery on a Kentucky pig farm, the Filipino experience in the U.S., and the complexity of families in which a child is radically different from
parents."
Cleveland Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer Ronald B. Richard also explained that "The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards rose from the philanthropic vision of one woman who realized that literature could advance the ongoing dialogue about race, culture, ethnicity, and our shared humanity."