Scott W. Berg, author of The Burning of the World: The Great Chicago Fire and the War for a City’s Soul, received The Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award on Saturday, September 20, during the Newberry’s annual Chicago Storytelling event. Berg accepted the award from Newberry President and Librarian Astrida Orle Tantillo and Mark and Lisa Pattis of The Pattis Family Foundation, which established the prize four years ago.
In accepting the award, Berg expressed his gratitude to the Newberry and to the staff behind the scenes that make it possible to research in archival institutions. Berg cited Newberry holdings including the proceedings of the Common Council, or city council, and transcriptions from the Foreign Language Press Survey, a Works Progress Administration project that translated and classified news articles of twenty-two different foreign languages in Chicago. Berg’s book describes the fire itself and then examines the two years following the disaster, including its political and socioeconomic fallout.
In addition to honoring Berg, who received a $25,000 prize, the event also recognized Larry A. McClellan, author of Onward to Chicago: Freedom Seekers and the Underground Railroad in Northeastern Illinois, and Sandra Steinbrecher and The Salt Shed: The Transformation of a Chicago Landmark. Both McClellan and Steinbrecher received awards of $2,500.
The book award is open to writers working in a variety of genres, including history, biography, social sciences, poetry, drama, graphic novels, and fiction—all relating to Chicago. Mark and Lisa Pattis were instrumental in helping create the award in 2021.
“Through their love of reading, Mark and Lisa have shown a commitment to the power of books, and we are quickly amassing a list of go-to Pattis Award-winning works that will stand the test of time,” Tantillo said. “This award helps the Newberry share its mission and vision with others through works that celebrate inquiry and the experiences of everyday Chicagoans.”
The award-winning titles are available for purchase in-person and online through our Bookshop.
