Ken Chitwood
2023 Honorable Mention winner Ken Chitwood is a religion, travel, and culture news writer with a focus on lived religion, everyday spirituality and interreligious encounters. His bylines include The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, Religion News Service, Christianity Today, The Houston Chronicle, Religion Unplugged, Interfaith America Magazine, Sojourners Magazine. He serves as President of the Religion News Association and Editor of ReligionLink, a monthly newsletter with source guides and story ideas for journalists. He has published articles in, or his work has been translated into, Arabic, Cantonese, Dutch, French, German, Indonesian, Kiswahili, Mandarin, Norwegian (Bokmål), Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish. The author of two books, he is currently working on an anthology entitled Engaged Spirituality: Stories of Religious Inspiration, Resilience, and Work for the Common Good, as well as books on Muslim philanthropy and religion in Berlin, Germany.
“Loved this. Diligent, expansive, thought provoking. Appreciated the color and descriptive language that brought the characters to life. Creative writing. I loved the way it started macro and slowly expanded to broader implications that reached voters and could sway elections. Thinking of hopeful American Muslims is a very interesting way to explore the Muslim American experience.”
— 2023 Goldziher judge