Pulitzer Prize winner Barbara Kingsolver is about to receive another prestigious accolade. On Friday, Sept. 5, the National Book Foundation announced that Kingsolver, the author of Demon Copperhead, will be awarded the 2024 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.
The 68-year-old author will accept the lifetime achievement award at the 75th National Book Awards Ceremony and Benefit Dinner on Nov. 20, where she will be honored for her extensive body of work spanning fiction, nonfiction, investigative journalism, poetry, and science writing.
“Barbara Kingsolver’s exceptional writing and authenticity, both on and off the page, has inspired generations of writers and readers,” said David Steinberger, chair of the Board of Directors of the National Book Foundation, in a press release. “Her books, translated into dozens of languages, have had a vast impact on both the national and global literary landscape. It is our profound honor to present her with this lifetime achievement award during the 75th anniversary of the National Book Awards.”
Kingsolver’s achievements include the 2000 National Humanities Medal and the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for Demon Copperhead. She has also been recognized by the American Booksellers Association, the American Library Association, the James Beard Foundation, and the PEN/Faulkner Foundation, among others.
Born in Annapolis, Md., and raised in Kentucky, Kingsolver now resides in southwestern Virginia. Her works include notable novels like The Bean Trees and Unsheltered, as well as nonfiction such as Holding the Line: Women in the Great Arizona Mine Strike. She has also authored several poetry and essay collections.
Reflecting on the honor, Kingsolver told the Associated Press it was “remarkable and wonderful” to be recognized by her peers. “It’s the people who see literature as our livelihood and our spiritual anchor, and that means the world to me,” she said.
Nominations for the award are made by former National Book Award winners, finalists, judges, and other literary professionals. Ruth Dickey, the foundation’s executive director, praised Kingsolver’s ability to explore social justice, environmental issues, and progressive change in her writing. “For Kingsolver, writing is a tool for community activism, shining a light on some of the most intricate injustices of our time,” said Dickey. “We have all benefited from her brilliance, and it is a gift to celebrate her remarkable accomplishments.”
The 75th National Book Awards will take place on Nov. 20 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, where Kingsolver will receive the award from her agent, Sam Stoloff of the Frances Golden Agency.
