Ann Patchett, bestselling author and owner of Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tenn., will receive the 2026 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction, 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. The award seeks to recognize strong, unique, enduring voices that, throughout long and consistently accomplished careers, have told us something about the American experience." Patchett will be honored on August 22 at a ceremony during the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C.
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Acting Librarian of Congress Robert R. Newlen said Patchett "crafts moving, probing, tender novels. She has a talent for creating fiction that readers continually devour because she thinks deeply and writes evocatively about human connection."
Patchett commented: "The Library of Congress is one of our nation's noblest institutions, and it's full of librarians, who I consider to be the very noblest of people. I am grateful for this award and honored by the association."
Patchett is the author of 10 novels, as well as nonfiction and children's books. She received the National Humanities Medal in recognition of her contributions to American culture, and was recently named this year's recipient of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation's Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award.
Patchett opened Parnassus Books 15 years ago, and "has since become an advocate for independent booksellers, championing books and bookstores," the Library of Congress wrote. She was the inaugural ambassador for the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (Binc) and founded the Parnassus Books Foundation, which gives books to children in Title I schools in Nashville.