Photo courtesy www.annpatchett.com
The Women’s National Book Association announces that author Ann Patchett has been chosen to receive the 2012-2013 WNBA Award. The award is presented by the WNBA to a living American woman who derives part or all of her income from books or the allied arts and has done meritorious work in the world of books beyond the duties or responsibilities of her profession or occupation.
Ann Patchett is an award-winning and bestselling author of several works of fiction, among them, Patron Saint of Liars, named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year; Taft, winner of the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize for best work of fiction; Bel Canto, which won both the PEN/Faulkner and Orange Prize in 2002; The Magician’s Assistant; and her latest, State of Wonder. Among her nonfiction titles are Truth and Beauty and What Now?
In addition, Ms. Patchett has written for numerous publications, including The New York Times Magazine, Harper’s Magazine, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, Gourmet, and Vogue.
In 2011, Ann Patchett opened a bookstore, Parnassus Books, in Nashville with publishing veteran Karen Hayes, bucking the trend of the rising tide of closures among independents, the growth of “big box” outlets, and internet buying. She has become a powerful advocate for independent bookselling throughout the country, having been interviewed by NPR and The New York Times, and having appeared on The Colbert Report. She was also named one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” for 2012.
The WNBA Award has been presented continuously since 1940. Previous recipients have included Doris Kearns Goodwin, Carolyn Heilbrun, Barbara Bush, Eleanor Roosevelt, Perri Klass, and Kathi Kamen Goldmark.
For more information about the WNBA Award, visit the national website here.
Jess Ptak
Jess Ptak is a Master of Arts candidate in English Literature at Mercy College. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Pace University in Pleasantville, New York. Jess lives in the Hudson Valley with her family, where she enjoys crafting handmade stationery and spending time with her husband and daughter.
