School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS) associate professor and poet Jeff Weddle has earned national recognition with a silver medal in the 2026 Feathered Quill Book Awards for his poem collection Letter to Xhevdet Bajraj.
Letter to Xhevdet Bajraj is the condensed English edition of the collection of poems first published in Albanian translation. The project reflects an ongoing international dialogue in Weddle’s work, particularly his literary connection to Kosovo.
The book has received high praise from American leaders in poetry, like U.S. National Lifetime Beat Poet Laureate Ron Whitehead.
In A Letter to Xhevdet Bajraj, Alabama Beat Poet Laureate Jeff Weddle, in panoramic poetic detail, shines a bright microscopic light on the time that was, the time that is, the time that will be no more.
Ron Whitehead
The Feathered Quill Book Awards are literary awards that recognize excellence in independent and small press publishing. They highlight books across a wide range of genres, including poetry, biography, children’s literature and more. Entries are evaluated by industry professionals such as editors, writers and educators.
Within each category, the awards recognize three levels of distinction: gold, silver, and bronze. The silver medal, which Jeff Weddle received in the Poetry category for Letter to Xhevdet Bajraj, signifies that the book ranked among the top entries in its genre nationwide for the award year.
The awards are merit-driven and judged on criteria such as literary quality, originality and production value. Because the competition draws submissions from independent publishers and authors across the country, this honor reflects both national visibility and critical recognition within the competitive independent-press landscape.
In many ways, this accomplishment by Weddle is not only a personal achievement for him but also a reflection of the creative culture within C&IS. His national recognition further proves the caliber of faculty producing work that resonates far beyond the walls of Reese Phifer.