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THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND LETTERS ANNOUNCES
2013 LITERATURE AWARD WINNERS
AND INAUGURAL E. B. WHITE AWARD


New York, March 13, 2013 – The American Academy of Arts and Letters announced today the names of 19 writers who will receive its 2013 awards in literature. The awards will be presented in New York in May at the Academy's annual Ceremonial. The literature prizes, totaling $175,000, honor both established and emerging writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. The Academy's 250 members nominate candidates, and a rotating committee of writers selects winners. This year's committee members were Louis Begley, Louise Glück, A. R. Gurney, Alison Lurie, Francine Prose, Mark Strand and Charles Wright.

The inaugural E.B. White Award of $10,000 is given to a writer for achievement in children's literature, a new direction for the Academy. Louise Erdrich, Donald Hall, and Alison Lurie comprised this year's committee.

Arts and Letters Awards in Literature
Eight Arts and Letters Awards in Literature honor exceptional accomplishment in any genre. This year, the awards of $7500 each will be presented to

KATHERINE BOO • JOANNA KLINK • NEIL LABUTE • BILL MCKIBBEN
BRUCE NORRIS • DARRYL PINCKNEY • D.A. POWELL • BRAD WATSON

Benjamin H. Danks Award
of $20,000 is given every three years to an exceptional young playwright.		 AMY HERZOG
E.M. Forster Award
$20,000 to a young writer from the United Kingdom or Ireland for a stay in the United States. Award jury: Anita Desai, Paul Theroux.		 ADAM FOULDS
Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction
$5000 for the best work of first fiction (novel or short stories) published in 2012.		 KEVIN POWERS
for The Yellow Birds
Award of Merit Medal
and $10,000 for an outstanding short story writer, given every six years.		 LYDIA DAVIS
Addison M. Metcalf Award
of $10,000 to a young writer of fiction, nonfiction, drama or poetry.		 MISCHA BERLINSKI
Rome Fellowships in Literature
A one-year residency (2013–2014) at the American Academy in Rome.		 PETER BOGNANNI
PETER STRECKFUS
Rosenthal Family Foundation Award
$10,000 to a young writer of considerable literary talent for a work published in 2012.		 CLAIRE VAYE WATKINS
for Battleborn
John Updike Award
of $20,000 is given biennially to a writer in mid-career whose work has demonstrated consistent excellence. 		JENNIFER EGAN
Harold D. Vursell Memorial Award
$10,000 to a writer whose work merits recognition for the quality of its prose style.		 CHRISTOPHER BENFEY
E. B. White Award
inaugural prize of $10,000 to a writer for achievement in children's literature.		 NATALIE BABBITT

Press Contact: Jane Bolster, academy AT artsandletters.org, (212) 368-5900.