Jesmyn Ward Wins 2022 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction

The 2022 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction will be awarded to Jesmyn Ward. At 45, Ward is the youngest person to receive the lifetime achievement award, which honors "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."

“Jesmyn Ward’s literary vision continues to become more expansive and piercing, addressing urgent questions about racism and social injustice being voiced by Americans,” Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said in a statement. “Jesmyn’s writing is precise yet magical, and I am pleased to recognize her contributions to literature with this prize.”

Hayden selected Ward as this year’s winner from more than 60 nominations The virtual prize ceremony will take place at the 2022 National Book Festival on September 3 in Washington, D.C.

“I am deeply honored to receive this award, not only because it aligns my work with legendary company, but because it also recognizes the difficulty and rigour of meeting America on the page, of appraising her as a lover would: clear-eyed, open-hearted, keen to empathize and connect,” Ward said in a statement. “This is our calling, and I am grateful for it.”