Arriel Vinson’s ‘Under the Neon Lights’ wins 2026 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award

A national youth literature honor recognizes a debut novel-in-verse set in Indianapolis roller-skating culture

Arriel Vinson’s debut young adult novel-in-verse, Under the Neon Lights, has received the 2026 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award, one of the annual Coretta Scott King Book Awards presented through the American Library Association’s youth media honors.

The award was announced in Chicago on January 26, 2026, as part of the American Library Association’s Youth Media Awards program. The John Steptoe New Talent Award is designated to affirm early-career excellence and provide visibility for new African American creators in children’s and young adult publishing.

What the book is about

Under the Neon Lights follows 16-year-old Jaelyn Coleman, a skater whose social world centers on Saturdays at WestSide Roll, a neighborhood roller rink portrayed as a gathering place for Black teens and the wider community. Over the course of a single summer, Jaelyn navigates shifting friendships, a developing romance, and family strain while confronting the threatened loss of the rink.

The novel situates its coming-of-age storyline against neighborhood change in Indianapolis, with the rink’s closure tied to redevelopment pressures and the replacement of familiar spaces. The format is verse fiction, a structure that uses poetry to build narrative scenes and character voice.

Publication details and setting

• Format: Young adult novel-in-verse
• Publication date: June 3, 2025
• Length: 384 pages
• Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Random House)
• Setting: Indianapolis, with a focus on roller-skating and rink culture

How the award fits within the 2026 Coretta Scott King honors

The 2026 Coretta Scott King Book Awards also recognized winners in author and illustrator categories, along with additional honor books selected that year. The awards program highlights books for children and young adults that center aspects of the African American experience and is overseen by a dedicated jury.

The John Steptoe New Talent Award is reserved for early-career creators, distinguishing it from the main author and illustrator awards and focusing attention on emerging voices.

About the author

Vinson is a Midwestern writer whose work focuses on themes of Black youth, identity, and the search for freedom. Under the Neon Lights is her first published young adult novel. Her next novel, If This World Were Mine, is scheduled for publication in spring 2027.