The Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation has named Ann Patchett, bestselling author and owner of Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tenn., as this year's recipient of the Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award, presented to a writer whose body of work reflects the prize's mission of fostering peace, social justice, and global understanding.
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The foundation noted that its "recognition of Patchett's legacy honors not only her unshakable commitment to the written word as a force for connection and understanding, but for her relentless advocacy for independent bookshops and literary culture--especially in schools--has helped shape global conversations.
Nicholas A. Raines, executive director of the foundation, commented: "Ann Patchett has spent her career reminding us that literature is a necessity--it is the very medium through which we understand one another. Her novels return, again and again, to the questions that animate this prize: How do we build community across difference? How do we forgive? How do we repair what has been broken? At a moment when those questions feel more urgent than ever, honoring Ann Patchett with the Holbrooke Award is an act of faith in the power of storytelling to encourage empathy, foster human connection, and lead us toward a more humane world."
Upon learning the news, Patchett said, "If you wait to find a way to bring peace to the world there's a good chance that nothing will be accomplished. Instead, I recommend bringing about peace in any small way that is available to you. Live as peacefully and as generously as possible. Invite others to stand with you or, better yet, go and stand with them. The Dayton Literary Peace Prize reminds us of what is possible. I am honored to be a part of this legacy."
The foundation also released fiction and nonfiction shortlists for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, which honors writers whose work demonstrates the power of the written word to foster peace. The winners, who will be named in September, each receive $10,000; with the first runners-up getting $5,000. See the complete shortlists here.