The first Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction has been awarded to Don DeLillo, the author of “Underworld,†“White Noise,†“Libra†and several other books.
The prize was inspired by a 2008 award for lifetime achievement in fiction given to Herman Wouk. Starting in 2009, the award, then called the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction, went to John Grisham, Isabel Allende, Toni Morrison and Philip Roth.
Mr. DeLillo will receive the award at the Library of Congress National Book Festival in September. He was nominated for the honor by a panel of authors and literary critics. In a statement, Mr. DeLillo said: “When I received news of this award, my first thoughts were of my mother and father, who came to this country the hard way, as young people confronting a new language and culture. In a significant sense, the Library of Congress Prize is the culmination of their efforts and a tribute to their memory.â€
