NEW YORK — James Patterson, the best-selling author and tireless advocate for books and literacy, is receiving an honorary National Book Award.
Patterson has won the Literarian Award for “outstanding service to the American literary community,” the National Book Foundation announced Wednesday. Patterson has donated millions of dollars to bookstores and libraries and hundreds of thousands of books to children and members of the military. He has also started his own publishing imprint at Little, Brown and Co.
On it’s website, the National Book Foundation posted the following on Patterson:
“For the past decade, Patterson has been a passionate campaigner to make books and reading a national priority. A generous supporter of universities, teachers colleges, independent bookstores, school libraries, and college students, Patterson has donated millions of dollars in grants and scholarships with the purpose of encouraging Americans of all ages to read more books. Patterson has donated over 250,000 books to children in the United States and over 650,000 books to U.S. soldiers, and created the website ReadKiddoRead—a National Book Foundation Innovations in Reading Prize Winner—to help families develop healthy reading habits.”
Previous recipients of the Literarian prize include Maya Angelou and Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
Patterson, 68, will be honored Nov. 18 at the annual National Book Awards ceremony dinner in Manhattan. The awards are presented by the nonprofit book foundation.
Patterson’s next book, “The Murder House”, will be available for purchase on Monday, September 28.
You can read the first six chapters of the book, and order your copy, on Patterson’s website.
To learn more about ReadKiddoRead, click here.
