James McBride is the winner of the 2024 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction, given annually to “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.”
McBride made his literary debut in 1995 with a memoir, The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother, which became a massive hit, staying on the New York Times bestseller list for more than 100 weeks.
Seven years later, he published his first novel, Miracle at St. Anna; several more would follow, including The Good Lord Bird, which won the National Book Award; Deacon King Kong, which took home the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction; and, most recently, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, which won the Kirkus Prize.
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said in a statement, “McBride knows the American soul deeply, reflecting our struggles and triumphs in his fiction, which so many readers have intimately connected with. I, also, am one of his enthusiastic readers.”
And McBride said, “I wish my mom were still alive to know about this. I’m delighted and honored. Does it mean I can use the Library? If so, I’m double thrilled.”
The Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction was first awarded in 2013. Previous winners include Louise Erdrich, Colson Whitehead, and George Saunders.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
