Percival Everett’s groundbreaking novel James, a radical retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of the enslaved character Jim, has won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, per pbs.org. The Pulitzer board hailed the novel as an “accomplished reconsideration” that “illustrates the absurdity of racial supremacy and provides a new take on the search for family and freedom.”
Meanwhile, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins took home the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Purpose, a searing family drama about a Black family unravelling from within. The play, which also earned six Tony Award nominations last week, was praised for its “skillful blend of drama and comedy that probes how different generations define heritage.”
At 68, Everett has become one of the most celebrated authors in contemporary literature. Despite decades of critical acclaim, he remained relatively unknown to mainstream audiences—until now. James, a million-selling phenomenon, has already won the National Book Award, the Kirkus Prize, and the Carnegie Medal for Fiction.
Everett’s recent success marks a dramatic shift in his career trajectory. Since 2021, he has been a Pulitzer finalist (Telephone), shortlisted for the Booker Prize (The Trees), and won the PEN/Jean Stein Award (Dr. No). His 2001 satire Erasure was adapted into the Oscar-nominated film American Fiction (2023).
“I’m shocked and pleased, but mostly shocked,” Everett said in a statement. “This is a wonderful honour.”
Jacobs-Jenkins, a two-time Pulitzer finalist (Everybody in 2018, Gloria in 2016), has solidified his place as one of America’s most vital playwrights. Last year, he won a Tony Award for Appropriate, a darkly comedic family drama. He is also part of the host committee for this year’s Met Gala, further cementing his influence across arts and culture.
Other Notable 2025 Pulitzer Winners
– Biography: Jason Roberts’ Every Living Thing: The Great and Deadly Race to Know All Life
– General Nonfiction: Benjamin Nathans’ To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet Dissident Movement
– History (Tie):
– Combee: Harriet Tubman, The Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom During the Civil War by Edda L. Fields-Black
– *Native Nations: A Millennium in North America by Kathleen DuVal
– Poetry: Marie Howe’s New and Selected Poems
– Music: Susie Ibarra’s Sky Islands, inspired by Philippine rainforests
The Pulitzer announcements come amid funding cuts at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), which has long supported writers and literary organisations.
Both Everett and Howe are past recipients of NEA creative writing fellowships, highlighting the crucial role such funding plays in fostering artistic achievement.
