National Book Foundation Present Barbara Kingsolver to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award

The National Book Foundation's decision to honor Barbara Kingsolver with the Lifetime Achievement Award is a significant recognition of her contributions to American literature. Kingsolver, an author celebrated for her compelling narratives and advocacy for social justice, has consistently used her platform to address critical issues including environmentalism, feminism, and cultural diversity. Her works, such as "The Poisonwood Bible" and "Flight Behavior," not only showcase her literary prowess but also reflect a deep engagement with the complexities of human experience and ecological concerns. The Lifetime Achievement Award serves not only as a tribute to Kingsolver’s past accomplishments but also highlights the ongoing relevance of her work in contemporary society.

Throughout her career, Kingsolver has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to intertwining storytelling with activism. She has often stated that literature can be a powerful tool for social change; this belief is evident in the thematic depth of her novels. By capturing the struggles and triumphs of diverse characters, she invites readers to confront their own assumptions and engage with pressing societal challenges (Baker, 2021). As such, receiving this award from the National Book Foundation reaffirms that Kingsolver's literary legacy extends beyond mere entertainment—it serves as a catalyst for dialogue about crucial global issues.

The recipient of the 2000 National Humanities Medal, Kingsolver is the author of nine novels, including The Bean Trees, Animal Dreams, Pigs in Heaven, The Poisonwood Bible, Prodigal Summer, The Lacuna, Flight Behavior, Unsheltered, and Demon Copperhead; the children’s book, Coyote’s Wild Home, co-authored with Lily Kingsolver; the short-story collection Homeland; the poetry collections Another America (Otra America) and How to Fly (In Ten Thousand Easy Lessons); the essay collections High Tide in Tucson and Small Wonder; and the nonfiction works Last Stand: America’s Virgin Lands, with photographer Annie Griffiths Belt, Holding the Line: Women in the Great Arizona Mine Strike, and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, co-written with Steven L. Hopp, Camille Kingsolver, and Lily Hopp Kingsolver.

Kingsolver is being celebrated at a time when her career has never been stronger; her most recent novel, “Demon Copperhead,” was her most successful yet. A retelling of Charles Dickens’ “David Copperfield,” the young narrator a boy from Appalachia, “Demon Copperhead” was endorsed by Oprah Winfrey, won the Pulitzer Prize in 2023 and sold so well for so long as a hardcover that only this fall is it coming out in a paperback edition.

Kingsolver has received numerous other awards, including a National Humanities Medal, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and the Women's Prize for Fiction — twice. She even established her own award, the Bellwether Prize for Social Change, which has cited books by Lisa Ko and Gayle Brandeis among others.

The 75th National Book Awards will take place on Nov. 20 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, where she will accept the award from her agent, Sam Stoloff of the Frances Golden agency.

For more information about the 75th National Book Awards Ceremony & Benefit Dinner and to register for the broadcast, visit the National Book Foundation.

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Sarah H

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