The Center for Fiction has named Julia Alvarez the winner of its Lifetime of Excellence in Fiction Award, given to a writer who has “significantly influenced our culture and perspective.”
Alvarez, a New York native, was raised in New York and the Dominican Republic and educated at Connecticut College, Middlebury College, and Syracuse University. She rose to prominence in the literary world with her first novel, How the García Girls Lost Their Accents, published in 1991 by Algonquin.
She went on to write several more novels, including In the Time of Butterflies, Saving the World, and The Cemetery of Untold Stories, as well as a dozen books for children and young readers.
Nina von Moltke, chair of the board of the Center for Fiction, said in a statement, “With her astonishing 1991 debut, How the García Girls Lost Their Accents, Julia Alvarez announced herself as a writer who could not be ignored, giving voice to the Dominican-American experience with a clarity that commands attention….Few writers have spoken so fully across generations, languages, and cultures. We are honored to recognize her with this year's Award.”
And Alvarez said, “It’s gratifying to be so fully welcomed by The Center for Fiction, a place that centers storytelling as a true meeting place for all of us. The Center affirms what I knew early on, as a young girl, reciting poetry, long before I came into English and dreamed of becoming a writer.”
The Lifetime of Excellence in Fiction Award was established in 2018. Previous winners include Toni Morrison, Salman Rushdie, and Haruki Murakami.
Alvarez will be presented with the award at the Center for Fiction’s awards benefit on Dec. 8.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
