Biographers International Organization

A panel of judges from BIO has selected 10 nominees for the 14th annual Plutarch Award, the only international literary award for biography judged exclusively by biographers. “The Plutarch Award Committee is delighted to offer our selections for the ten best biographies published in 2025. We read close to two hundred books covering the most diverse set of imaginable subjects…and were impressed with a great many, which made our task a gratifying challenge,” says Mary… Read More »

Carla Hayden, a senior fellow at the Mellon Foundation and former Librarian of Congress, will receive Biographers International Organization’s 2026 Biblio Award, honoring a notable archivist. Since 2012, (BIO) has presented the Biblio Award annually to recognize a librarian or archivist who has made an exceptional contribution to the craft of biography. This year, it will be presented at BIO’s annual conference in New York City on May 28, 2026. At the Mellon Foundation, Dr.… Read More »

Registration for the 2026 BIO Conference is now open. Co-sponsored with The Leon Levy Center for Biography, the two-day event will occur both in person and online May 28 and 29, 2026, at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York City. Topic-specific roundtables will be held virtually approximately one week before the conference. Attending in person provides rich opportunities for socializing with fellow biographers and choosing from various panels. It comes at an affordable… Read More »

You can now register for Biography Lab 2026, BIO’s fourth annual online forum, which will take place via Zoom on Saturday, January 24, 2026. This event brings together biographers and publishing professionals for in-depth discussions on the craft and challenges of biography. It welcomes participants of all levels.  Register here. The event is free for BIO members and $60 for nonmembers. (The nonmember admission fee includes a one-year BIO membership.) The plenary… Read More »

Biographers International Organization (BIO) invites applications for its 2026 fellowships and prizes, which support and celebrate the craft of biography at every stage—from dissertation research to debut works and beyond. These awards recognize exceptional promise, fund essential research, and amplify diverse voices shaping the future of biographical writing. The Frances “Frank” Rollin Fellowship Deadline: February 1, 2026 The Frances “Frank” Rollin Fellowship awards $5,000 each to two authors working on a biographical project about an … Read More »

A new fellowship supporting archival research by biographers is now open for applications. The Clio Fellowship for Archival Research, established by Biographers International Organization (BIO), awards $5,000 to one or more biographers to help fund travel to collections essential to their book projects. Biographers depend on access to letters, manuscripts, and personal papers—primary sources often housed in libraries and archives around the world. Named for Clio, the Greek muse of history and memory… Read More »

The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University will host Three Conversations on Contemporary Biography on Friday, October 10, 2025, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The symposium, presented in partnership with Yale Public Humanities, will feature leading voices in the field—including BIO Vice President Heather Clark—alongside Farah Jasmine Griffin, Robin D. G. Kelley, Nathan Kernan, Eileen Myles, and BIO member Francesca Wade. The event is free and open to… Read More »

Biographers International Organization (BIO) is pleased to announce that Kate Medina is the 2025 recipient of the Editorial Excellence Award. Established in 2014, this annual award honors an editor for outstanding work in the service of biography and literature. Medina will be presented with the award Tuesday, October 7, at the New York Society Library in New York. Register HERE to attend, 6pm – 7:30pm at 53 E. 79th Street. The event is free but… Read More »