Whitehead Wins Library of Congress Prize
Colson Whitehead has been awarded the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction, which honors “an American literary writer whose body of work is distinguished not only for its mastery of the art but also for its originality of thought and imagination.” Whitehead, 50, is the youngest recipient of this lifetime achievement award, and was selected “based on nominations from more than 60 distinguished literary figures, including former winners of the prize, acclaimed authors and literary critics from around the world.”
Whitehead said, “I hope that right now there’s a young kid who looks like me, who sees the Library of Congress recognize Black artists and feels encouraged to pursue their own vision and find their own sacred spaces of inspiration.”
The award will be presented at the 2020 Library of Congress National Book Festival, scheduled for September 25-27, 2020, online.
For more information, see the full press release.
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