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E. L. Doctorow, Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction Winner

On April 16, 2014, Librarian of Congress James H. Billington announced E. L. Doctorow as the recipient of the 2014 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction. Learn more about Doctorow and his activities at the Library of Congress through this guide.

Introduction

E. L. Doctorow, 2014 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction Winner.

On April 16, 2014, the Library of Congress announced the awarding of the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction to author E. L. Doctorow. Librarian of Congress James H. Billington offered the following remarks on Doctorow's award:

E. L. Doctorow is our very own Charles Dickens, summoning a distinctly American place and time, channeling our myriad voices. Each book is a vivid canvas, filled with color and drama. In each, he chronicles an entirely different world.

E. L. Doctorow received the 2014 Prize for American Fiction from the Librarian of Congress during the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., on August 30, 2014. [View recording of award announcement.]

About the Prize

Since 2008, the Library of Congress has awarded a prize to distinguished writers of fiction. The Library of Congress Lifetime Achievement Award for the Writing of Fiction was created to honor a career dedicated to the literary arts. This award was first presented to Herman Wouk on Sept. 10, 2008. This inaugural award has inspired subsequent Library of Congress fiction awards, given in connection with the Library’s annual National Book Festival.

From 2009 to 2012, the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for fiction was presented to John Grisham, Isabel Allende, Toni Morrison and Philip Roth. Beginning in 2013, the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction has been presented to an author for a body of extraordinary work. Recipients have included Philip Roth, Don DeLillo, E.L. Doctorow, Louise Erdrich, Marilynne Robinson, Denis Johnson, E. Annie Proulx, Richard Ford and Colson Whitehead.

The annual Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction is meant to honor 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 commend strong, unique, enduring voices that, throughout long, consistently accomplished careers, have told us something about the American experience.

Contact Information for E. L. Doctorow

If you would like additional information about the late E. L. Doctorow please direct your inquiries as suggested below:

  • Reference/Programmatic Questions: Contact the Library's Ask a Librarian service (reference questions) or Literary Initiatives office, [email protected] (programmatic questions).
  • Permissions Requests: Contact the publisher directly regarding work written by Doctorow.
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