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Pen, Paper, Pulitzer: Honoring the Literary Excellence

The Pulitzer Prize for Literature is one of the most prestigious awards in American literature. It is given to honor outstanding works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama. The award was established in 1917 by newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer to recognize literary excellence that captures the essence of American life, culture, and history. It celebrates groundbreaking works that challenge social norms, inspire critical thinking, and have a lasting impact on readers. It is a benchmark of literary achievement that has shaped the ideals of American literature and has played a significant role in influencing generations of writers and readers.

List of winners by year:

• 1918: Ernest Poole, His Family, Novel.
• 1919: Booth Tarkington, The Magnificent Ambersons, Novel.
• 1920: No award.
• 1921: Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence, Novel.
• 1922: Booth Tarkington, Alice Adams, Novel.
• 1923: Willa Cather, One of Ours, Novel.
• 1924: Margaret Wilson, The Able McLaughlins, novel.
• 1925: Edna Ferber, So Big, Novel.
• 1926: Sinclair Lewis, Arrowsmith, Novel.
• 1927: Louis Bromfield, Early Autumn, Novel.
• 1928: Thornton Wilder, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Novel.
• 1929: Julia Peterkin, Scarlet Sister Mary, Novel.
• 1930: Oliver La Farge, Laughing Boy, Novel.
• 1931: Margaret Ayer Barnes, Years of Grace, Novel.
• 1932: Pearl S. Buck, The Good Earth, Historical fiction.
• 1933: T. S. Stribling, The Store, Novel.
• 1934: Caroline Miller, Lamb in His Bosom, Debut novel.
• 1935: Josephine Winslow Johnson, Now in November, Debut novel.
• 1936: Harold L. Davis, Honey in the Horn, Debut novel.
• 1937: Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind, Novel.
• 1938: John Phillips Marquand, The Late George Apley, Epistolary novel.
• 1939: Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, The Yearling, Young adult novel.
• 1940: John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, Novel.
• 1941: Not awarded.
• 1942: Ellen Glasgow, In This Our Life, Novel.
• 1943: Upton Sinclair, Dragon's Teeth, Historical fiction.
• 1944: Martin Flavin, Journey in the Dark, Novel.
• 1945: John Hersey, A Bell for Adano, War novel.
• 1946: No award.
• 1947: Robert Penn Warren, All the King's Men, Political fiction.
• 1948: James A. Michener, Tales of the South Pacific, Interrelated short stories.
• 1949: James Gould Cozzens, Guard of Honor, War novel.
• 1950: A. B. Guthrie, The Way West, Western fiction.
• 1951: Conrad Richter, The Town, Novel.
• 1952: Herman Wouk, The Caine Mutiny, Historical fiction.
• 1953: Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea, Short novel.
• 1954: Not awarded.
• 1955: William Faulkner, A Fable, Novel.
• 1956: MacKinlay Kantor, Andersonville, Historical fiction.
• 1957: No award.
• 1958: James Agee, A Death in the Family, Autobiographical novel.
• 1959: Robert Lewis Taylor, The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, Historical fiction.
• 1960: Allen Drury, Advise and Consent, Political fiction.
• 1961: Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, Debut novel.
• 1962: Edwin O'Connor, The Edge of Sadness, Novel.
• 1963: William Faulkner, The Reivers, Novel.
• 1964: Not awarded.
• 1965: Shirley Ann Grau, The Keepers of the House, Novel.
• 1966: Katherine Anne Porter, Collected Stories, Short story collection.
• 1967: Bernard Malamud, The Fixer, Novel.
• 1968: William Styron, The Confessions of Nat Turner, Novel.
• 1969: N. Scott Momaday, House Made of Dawn, Novel.
• 1970: Jean Stafford, Collected Stories, Short story collection.
• 1971: No award.
• 1972: Wallace Stegner, Angle of Repose, Novel.
• 1973: Eudora Welty, The Optimist's Daughter, Short novel.
• 1974: Not awarded.
• 1975: Michael Shaara, The Killer Angels, Historical fiction.
• 1976: Saul Bellow, Humboldt's Gift, Novel.
• 1977: No award.
• 1978: James Alan McPherson, Elbow Room, Short story collection.
• 1979: John Cheever, The Stories of John Cheever, Short story collection.
• 1980: Norman Mailer, The Executioner's Song, True crime novel.
• 1981: John Kennedy Toole, A Confederacy of Dunces, Picaresque novel.
• 1982: John Updike, Rabbit Is Rich, Novel.
• 1983: Alice Walker, The Color Purple, novel.
• 1984: William Kennedy, Ironweed, Novel.
• 1985: Alison Lurie, Foreign Affairs, Nove.
• 1986: Larry McMurtry, Lonesome Dove, Western novel.
• 1987: Peter Taylor, A Summons to Memphis, Novel.
• 1988: Toni Morrison, Beloved, Novel.
• 1989: Anne Tyler, Breathing Lessons, Novel.
• 1990: Oscar Hijuelos, The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, Novel.
• 1991: John Updike, Rabbit At Rest, Novel.
• 1992: Jane Smiley, A Thousand Acres, Domestic realism.
• 1993: Robert Olen Butler, A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain, Short story collection.
• 1994: E. Annie Proulx, The Shipping News, Novel.
• 1995: Carol Shields, The Stone Diaries, Novel.
• 1996: Richard Ford, Independence Day, Novel.
• 1997: Steven Millhauser, Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer, Novel.
• 1998: Philip Roth, American Pastoral, Novel.
• 1999: Michael Cunningham, The Hours, Historical fiction.
• 2000: Jhumpa Lahiri, Interpreter of Maladies, Short story collection.
• 2001: Michael Chabon, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Historical fiction.
• 2002: Richard Russo, Empire Falls, Novel.
• 2003: Jeffrey Eugenides, Middlesex, Family saga.
• 2004: Edward P. Jones, The Known World, Historical fiction.
• 2005: Marilynne Robinson, Gilead, Novel.
• 2006: Geraldine Brooks, March, Historical fiction.
• 2007: Cormac McCarthy, The Road, Post-apocalyptic fiction.
• 2008: Junot Díaz, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Novel.
• 2009: Elizabeth Strout, Olive Kitteridge,Interrelated short stories.
• 2010: Paul Harding, Tinkers, Debut novel.
• 2011: Jennifer Egan, A Visit from the Goon Squad, Interrelated short stories.
• 2012: Not awarded.
• 2013Adam Johnson, The Orphan Master's Son, Novel.
• 2014: Donna Tartt, The Goldfinch, Novel.
• 2015: Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See, War novel.
• 2016: Viet Thanh Nguyen, The Sympathizer, Debut novel.
• 2017: Colson Whitehead, The Underground Railroad, Alternate historical novel.
• 2018: Andrew Sean Greer, Less Satirical novel.
• 2019: Richard Powers, The Overstory Novel.
• 2020: Colson Whitehead, The Nickel Boys Novel.
• 2021: Louise Erdrich, The Night Watchman Novel.
• 2022: Joshua Cohen, The Netanyahus: An Account of a Minor and Ultimately Even Negligible Episode in the History of a Very Famous Family, Novel.
• 2023: Hernan Diaz, Trust Novel.

Conclusion:

The Pulitzer Prize for Literature is awarded to works that have had a lasting impact on readers and society through storytelling. Like other categories, this category has faced controversy and criticism for its selection process, inclusivity, and the quality of the literature it presents. Over time, the award has expanded its scope to include a diverse range of voices and perspectives. As literature has evolved, the award has remained a symbol of excellence that celebrates writers who transcend boundaries, influence thought, and capture the essence of the human experience.