The literary nonprofit PEN America is honoring former President Barack Obama with its second-ever Voice of Influence Award.
The organization said in a news release that Obama will receive the award “in recognition of how the former president’s writings throughout his career have traversed political, social, and ideological bounds and framed a self-reflective humanism that has marked his influence on public life.”
“As an organization of writers, we have always seen President Obama not just as a leader, but as one of us: an author,” said Suzanne Nossel, PEN America’s CEO. “His probing and evocative narratives helped introduce the world to his unique background, and the power of his life experience as a prompt toward a more pluralistic and encompassing society.”
PEN America made the announcement just days after the publication of Obama’s latest book, the memoir A Promised Land, which shattered sales records for publisher Penguin Random House.
“Long before he was a politician, Barack Obama was a spectacular writer,” PEN America President Jennifer Egan said. “Now, as we conclude a year of plague and division, his voice is a tonic reminder of the power of language—and narrative—to uplift and transform.”
Obama will participate in a conversation with author Ron Chernow on Dec. 8 as part of PEN America’s virtual gala.
PEN America first awarded the Voice of Influence prize last year, to filmmaker Ava DuVernay.
Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
