Quaker Author Rashid Darden Wins North Street Book Prize for A Peculiar Legacy
PHILADELPHIA — QuakerBooks, the bookselling ministry of Friends General Conference, celebrates the national recognition of Rashid Darden, whose novel A Peculiar Legacy has been awarded First Prize for Mainstream/Literary Fiction in the 11th Annual North Street Book Prize.
The prestigious competition, administered by Winning Writers, received 1,734 submissions from around the world, making Darden’s selection a significant achievement for both the author and the wider Quaker literary community.
A Peculiar Legacy is a work grounded in care and conscience, set in a close-knit Black neighborhood in Washington, D.C. In the wake of a young person’s murder, the novel follows a newly arrived gay couple and a Quaker matriarch as they seek to mentor local young adults through grief, faith, and moral responsibility. The book weaves together themes of community care, spiritual discernment, and the complicated legacies that shape Black life in America.
“I’m honored by this prize,” Darden said. “A Peculiar Legacy grew out of my faith as a Quaker and my concern for marginalized communities, and it matters to me that this recognition connects my work to rural Northeastern North Carolina’s literary legacy.”
QuakerBooks is proud to carry A Peculiar Legacy as part of its commitment to elevating Quaker voices and stories that speak to justice, community, and the movement of the Spirit in the world.
“Rashid’s work reflects the best of contemporary Friends writing—spiritually grounded, socially engaged, and rooted in real human relationships,” said a QuakerBooks representative. “His win reminds us that Quaker literature continues to evolve beyond traditional nonfiction into powerful works of imagination and storytelling.”
As a category winner, Darden received a $1,000 cash prize along with professional publishing support and national promotion through Winning Writers and its partners.
Darden lives in Conway, North Carolina, where he continues to write fiction and poetry that engages questions of faith, race, sexuality, and communal responsibility. His recognition highlights the vital role that rural Friends and writers outside major metropolitan centers play in shaping contemporary Quaker culture.