Percival Everett has captured the 2024 Kirkus Prize for fiction, securing a $50,000 award for his innovative novel James, in a remarkable addition to his recent string of accolades, per abcnews.com. The winning work boldly reimagines Mark Twain’s classic The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of the escaped enslaved man who accompanies Huck on his journey.
The prestigious honour, announced Wednesday evening, further cements Everett’s status as one of contemporary literature’s most compelling voices. James has already garnered significant recognition, earning spots on both the National Book Award and Booker Prize shortlists.
This latest triumph adds to Everett’s impressive collection of literary distinctions, including the PEN/Jean Stein award for Dr. No and multiple lifetime achievement honours. His creative influence recently extended to Hollywood, with his 2001 novel Erasure adapted into the Oscar-nominated American Fiction.
The Kirkus Prize ceremony also celebrated excellence in other categories, with Adam Higginbotham’s space shuttle disaster examination Challenger winning in nonfiction, and Kenneth M. Cadow’s Vermont-based coming-of-age tale Gather taking the young readers’ literature prize. Each winner received equal prize money of $50,000.
Kirkus Reviews editor-in-chief Tom Beer praised the winning works for their elegant exploration of both personal and historical tragedies, highlighting their contribution to our understanding of human resilience.
