Born February 27, 1902 in Salinas, California, John Steinbeck truly made a mark on America as a writer. He won the Pulitzer Prize for The Grapes of Wrath (1939), a novel that captured the daily struggles and strife of the Great Depression. Steinbeck wrote novels, travelogues, short story collections, and non-fiction, and his exceptional contributions to literature earned him the 1962 Nobel Prize. Steinbeck and his work have long fascinated collectors.
On this day in 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his last will and testament. The four-page document contained less than a page explaining the prize that would bear his name. A scientist, writer, and political activist, Nobel sought to encourage exceptional work in several fields: physics, medicine, chemistry, peace, and literature.
Yesterday the Nobel Committee announced that Chinese author Mo Yan had earned this year's prize for literature. One of China's best known writers, Mo Yan has has been heralded as one of China's preeminent writers. But Mo Yan has not always been so highly regarded by China's government.
Few authors have captured the zeitgeist of twentieth-century America as John Steinbeck did. This legendary author built a name for himself with his depictions of rural California, the Dust Bowl, and the Great Depression. But his wide interests--from marine biology to history--resulted in an incredibly rich literary legacy.
Bellow was the only to win the National Book Award three times, and one of few to win the Pulitzer Prize, the Nobel Prize for Literature, and the National Medal of Arts. A quick look at some of Bellows best known works:
Today is the 85th birthday of legendary author Gabriel García Márquez. The Nobel laureate began his writing career as a journalist but established himself as one of the most important authors of the twentieth century. Heres a look at a few facts you probably didnt know about Gabriel García Márquez.
This week the 2011 winners of the Nobel Prize are unveiled. Alfred Nobel, for whom the Prize is named, specified that prizes be awarded in several different disciplines: Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Peace, Economics, and of course Literature. Nobels own interest in literature began in childhood, and the contents of his personal library are quite impressive.
A rare first edition of The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, with a poignant handwritten note by the author to his young daughter, has been discovered.
