We are thrilled to announce that the 2026 Hale Award ceremony will be held on October 17th at the Newport Opera House. This year we will honor the talented author, Howard Mansfield. The ceremony starts at 7PM and is free and open to the public. We encourage everyone to come and celebrate this achievement. Before… Read more Join Us for an Evening with Hale Award Winner Howard Mansfield!
Hale Award
Hale Award 2025 – Author Peter Heller
As summer comes to a close, we head straight into fall and the annual Hale Award Ceremony! For those of you unfamiliar with this award, it is an honor bestowed upon an accomplished author who has ties to New England. It was first awarded to the poet, Robert Frost, in 1956. Previous recipients include well-known authors… Read more Hale Award 2025 – Author Peter Heller
Exciting News: Join Us for an Evening with Hale Award Winner Monica Wood!
We are thrilled to announce that the 2024 Hale Award ceremony will be held on September 7th at the Newport Opera House. This year’s event promises to be extra special, as we honor the talented author Monica Wood. The ceremony starts at 7 PM and is free and open to the public. We encourage everyone… Read more Exciting News: Join Us for an Evening with Hale Award Winner Monica Wood!
Monica Wood to Accept the 2024 Hale Award
The Richards Free Library proudly announces best-selling Maine author, Monica Wood, as the recipient of the 2024 Sarah Josepha Hale Award. Monica Wood is an award-winning novelist, memoirist and playwright. Originally from Mexico, Maine, her writing tells character-driven stories about life-changing events. Wood was awarded the 2019 Constance Carlson Prize for contributions to the public humanities in Maine; and the 2018… Read more Monica Wood to Accept the 2024 Hale Award
Summer 2023 Community Read: Midwives by Chris Bohjalian
To prepare for Chris Bohjalian’s arrival in Newport in September for the Hale Award, we’re reading his novel Midwives! Stop by the library to check out one of our 25 copies of the book and join us for a book discussion! We have three discussions on the calendar and you’re welcome to pick one or… Read more Summer 2023 Community Read: Midwives by Chris Bohjalian
