Black Author a Finalist in 2025 American Fiction Awards

Jerome Saintjones, author of “The Chinaberry Tree”A Huntsville, Alabama author has been selected a finalist in the 8th Annual American Fiction Awards, sponsored by American Book Fest. ABF covers books from all sections of the publishing industry, including mainstream, independent and self-published. The awards provide recognition for the noteworthy work of authors in several genre-specific categories.

Jerome Saintjones, author of the novel “The Chinaberry Tree,” secured a coveted finalist spot in the category for best African American Fiction. Drawing from an abundant well as an American descendant of slavery (ADOS), Saintjones has created a work that delves into the numerous complexities of the Black experience as recorded through the blue eyes of Arnold Giovanni, an equally complex white professor at a small Black college in the South.

According to event organizers, the winners and finalists of this year’s American Fiction Award contest join “a prestigious group of past laureates” from a family of book awards, including Pope Francis, Amy Tan, George Sanders, Vanessa Williams, Shark Tank’s Daymon John, Kitty Kelley, and many others.

A recent retiree, Saintjones is a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and has worked as a public relations administrator for over 40 years at historically black colleges. He is a proud graduate of Tuskegee, Auburn and Alabama A&M universities.