Founded in 2016 in collaboration with the Nabokov Foundation, the award is conferred annually to a living author whose body of work, either written in or translated into English, represents the highest level of achievement in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and/or drama, and is of enduring originality and consummate craftsmanship. Previous winners include Edna O’Brien and Adonis.
Sandra Cisneros, 2019 Honoree
Judges: Alexander Chee, Edwidge Danticat, Valeria Luiselli
From the judges’ citation: “Sandra Cisneros has said that she writes because ‘the world we live in is a house on fire and the people we love are burning.’ In a formidable and awe-inspiring body of work, which includes fiction, memoir, and poetry, Cisneros brings us astounding and lyrical voices from burning, maligned, devastated, as well as reassembled houses, and nations. It’s hard to imagine navigating our world today without her stories and her voice guiding us towards much-needed reclamation and endurance.”
Sandra Cisnero’s work includes The House on Mango Street, Caramelo, A House of My Own, Woman Hollering Creek, and more.
Featured Works
History
Selection Process
The winner is selected by a panel of judges. There are no outside nominations.