2013 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction
Don DeLillo is one of America’s most celebrated writers. He has received the National Book Award (“White Noise,” 1985), a PEN/Faulkner Award (“Mao II,” 1992) and the PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Achievement in American Fiction (2010), among many other accolades.
“Like Dostoyevsky, Don DeLillo probes deeply into the sociopolitical and moral life of his country,” said Billington. “Over a long and important career, he has inspired his readers with the diversity of his themes and the virtuosity of his prose.”
“When I received news of this award, my first thoughts were of my mother and father, who came to this country the hard way, as young people confronting a new language and culture,” said DeLillo. “In a significant sense, the Library of Congress prize is the culmination of their efforts and a tribute to their memory.”
In 2006, The New York Times asked several hundred well-known writers, critics, editors and other knowledgeable parties to identify “the single best work of American fiction published in the last 25 years.” DeLillo’s 1997 novel, “Underworld,” was No. 2 on the list. “White Noise” and his 1988 novel, “Libra,” were also named. In 1979, DeLillo was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship.
- News release announcing award, April 25, 2013
- Video of Don DeLillo at 2013 National Book Festival
- Video of Don DeLillo at 2013 National Book Festival Gala