Honoring Sandra Cisneros

The 2025 Baldacci Award for Literary Activism Recipient

Sandra Cisneros is a poet, short story writer, novelist, essayist, performer, and artist whose work explores the lives of the working-class.  Her numerous awards include NEA fellowships in both poetry and fiction, the Texas Medal of the Arts, a MacArthur Fellowship, several honorary doctorates and national and international book awards, including Chicago’s Fifth Star Award, the PEN Center USA Literary Award, the Fairfax Prize, the National Medal of Arts. Most recently, she received the Ford Foundation’s Art of Change Fellowship, was recognized among The Frederick Douglass 200, won the PEN/Nabokov Award for international literature, a Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize from the Poetry Foundation, and the Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award from the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation.

Her classic, coming-of-age novel, The House on Mango Street, has sold over seven million copies, has been translated into over twenty-five languages, and is required reading in elementary, high school, and universities across the nation.  

In addition to her writing, Cisneros has fostered the careers of many aspiring and emerging writers through two non-profits she founded: the Macondo Foundation, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2020, and the Alfredo Cisneros del Moral Foundation, which ran for fifteen years. She is also the organizer of Los MacArturos, Latino MacArthur fellows who are community activists. Her literary papers are preserved in Texas at the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University. 

Sandra Cisneros is a dual citizen of the United States and Mexico and earns her living by her pen.  As a single woman, she chose to have books instead of children.  She currently lives in San Miguel de Allende, México.  A new collection of poetry, Woman Without Shame, her first in 28 years, was published in 2022 by Knopf and by Vintage Español in a Spanish language translation, Mujer sin vergüenza, by Liliana Valenzuela. In 2024, The House on Mango Street was published in the Everyman’s Library Contemporary Classics Series.


About the Baldacci Award for Literary Activism

The Baldacci Award for Literary Activism recognizes a writer who has demonstrated exceptional activism and impactful contributions to the literary community, with a focus on addressing societal issues. Named in honor of acclaimed author David Baldacci, this award celebrates a writer who has gone beyond their literary achievements to champion the rights of authors, advocate for freedom of expression, and use their influence to engage with and impact pressing societal concerns. The recipient of this award is recognized for their tireless efforts to support and uplift the literary community, ensuring that literature remains a vital and inclusive force in addressing the challenges of our time.

Sandra Cisneros exemplifies the spirit of the Baldacci Award for Literary Activism through her unwavering commitment to championing underrepresented voices and fostering inclusivity in literature. As a celebrated author of works such as The House on Mango Street, Cisneros has not only enriched the literary world with her storytelling but also leveraged her influence to address societal issues including gender equality, cultural identity, and immigrant rights.

Her activism extends beyond her writing; Cisneros has been a steadfast advocate for freedom of expression and a vocal supporter of marginalized communities. Through initiatives like the Macondo Writers Workshop, which she founded to nurture socially engaged writers, Cisneros has created platforms that empower others to tell their stories and inspire change.

Cisneros’s dedication to amplifying diverse voices and her tireless efforts to uplift the literary community underscore her profound impact on society. By addressing pressing societal challenges through both her activism and her art, Sandra Cisneros embodies the very essence of this distinguished award.