Meet the Honorees

Mo Willems

Carl Sandburg Literary Award Honoree

Mo Willems is a number one New York Times bestselling author and illustrator. He has been awarded three Caldecott Honors and an Eisner Award for his picture books, and two Theodor Seuss Geisel Medals and five Geisel Honors for his celebrated ELEPHANT & PIGGIE early readers. His debut picture book, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! was inducted into the Picture Book Hall of Fame. Mo began his career as a writer and animator on Sesame Street, where he garnered six Emmy Awards. Mo is the cofounder of Hidden Pigeon Company, established in 2023 to extend the reach of Mo Willems characters and stories across multiple platforms.

Gabriel Bump

21st Century Award Honoree

Gabriel Bump grew up in South Shore, Chicago. His debut novel, Everywhere You Don’t Belong, was a New York Times Notable Book of 2020 and has won the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence, the Great Lakes Colleges Association New Writers Award for Fiction, the Heartland Booksellers Award for Fiction, and the Black Caucus of the American Library Association’s First Novelist Award. His second novel, The New Naturals, was a Washington Post, Boston Globe, and New York Times Notable Book of 2023. His third novel, Don’t Stop Snowing, is forthcoming in November 2026. He teaches for the UMass-Amherst MFA for Poets and Writers, his alma mater.

Helen Zell

Cindy Pritzker Civic Award Honoree

Helen Zell is the Executive Director of the Zell Family Foundation.  She is an active philanthropist and thought leader in the arts and education, with an emphasis on music, literature, visual arts, theater, early childhood and primary public education.  Her commitment is also evident in her extensive board service and impact on organizations citywide. 

Helen’s lifelong passion for great literature and commitment to her alma mater are reflected in her advocacy of the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.  The Zell Family Foundation endowed the university’s Master of Fine Arts degree program in Creative Writing, now known as the Helen Zell Writers’ Program.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Language and Literature and honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the University of Michigan.