Today's Read Contributor Washington, D.C. — May 17, 2025 — Jesmyn Ward, the celebrated author whose work has deeply shaped contemporary American literature, has been named the recipient of the 2025 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction. The prestigious honor, one of the highest accolades for a fiction writer in the United States, was announced by Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, who lauded Ward for her “lyrical prose and powerful portrayal of African American life in the rural South.”
Celebrating a Literary Luminary
Ward, a two-time National Book Award winner, is known for her evocative and emotionally rich storytelling that centers the experiences of Black communities in Mississippi and the broader American South. Her novels—including Salvage the Bones and Sing, Unburied, Sing—have been widely praised for their unflinching examination of systemic racism, intergenerational trauma, and resilience.
In announcing the award, Hayden emphasized Ward’s enduring influence on American letters: “Jesmyn Ward writes with a clarity and compassion that transcends regional boundaries. Her work bears witness to the lives and histories often left at the margins of our national narrative, and does so with a poetic grace that is both timeless and urgent.”
A Voice for the Rural South
Ward’s fiction is rooted in the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, where she grew up and where many of her stories are set. Through richly drawn characters and a deep sense of place, her writing explores the entanglements of poverty, family, grief, and hope. Critics and scholars have often compared her to literary giants like William Faulkner and Toni Morrison, but Ward’s voice is uniquely her own—grounded in contemporary reality while attuned to the spiritual and mythic dimensions of Southern life.
Her acclaimed 2011 novel Salvage the Bones, which won the National Book Award, chronicles a working-class Black family in the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina. In 2017, she won her second National Book Award for Sing, Unburied, Sing, a multi-generational narrative that blends realism with supernatural elements to confront the legacies of incarceration and racial violence.
An Evolving Legacy
The Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction places Ward among a pantheon of celebrated writers who have received the award, including Toni Morrison, Don DeLillo, Louise Erdrich, Marilynne Robinson, and Colson Whitehead. The award recognizes a body of work that exemplifies excellence in the art of fiction and contributes significantly to the cultural life of the nation.
Ward will formally accept the prize during the 2025 National Book Festival in Washington, D.C., scheduled for September. The event is expected to draw thousands of readers and writers from across the country and will feature a keynote conversation with Ward about her literary journey and the role of fiction in social and cultural transformation.
A Literary Voice for the Future
Beyond her novels, Ward is also known for her essays, memoirs, and editorial work, particularly in elevating stories of marginalized communities. Her memoir Men We Reaped offers a searing account of personal loss and community struggle, further highlighting her commitment to truth-telling and literary activism.
As the first woman to win two National Book Awards for Fiction, Ward continues to break ground not only with her artistry but also with her public engagement. Her recent teaching roles, public lectures, and editorial projects demonstrate her dedication to mentoring the next generation of writers and fostering a more inclusive literary canon.
The recognition from the Library of Congress reaffirms Ward’s standing as one of the most vital voices in American literature today—an author who writes not only with beauty but with profound moral clarity.
