New York - The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem acquired several important manuscripts related to the landmark work The Autobiography of Malcolm X - manuscripts that will now be available to the public for the first time.

The internationally-renowned New York Public Library research center acquired the items at auction, including:

• The full 241-page manuscript of The Autobiography of Malcolm X with handwritten corrections and notes from both Malcolm X and collaborator Alex Haley.
  
• A previously unpublished chapter from the book, believed to be omitted from publication after Malcolm X’s assassination. The 25-page typewritten chapter - titled “The Negro” - is thought to be one of three unpublished chapters in existence. It is as yet unclear why the chapters were removed.
  
• A series of literal and literary “fragments,” or short notes and drafts by Malcolm X written or typed on small pieces of paper.
  

All three important acquisitions related to the Nation of Islam minister and civil rights leader will soon be accessible at the Schomburg Center - marking the first time that members of the public will be able to see them. The items were previously held by a private collector, who acquired them at the sale of Alex Haley’s estate in 1992.

“These materials are extremely significant, as they can provide researchers with extensive new insights into the writing process and thoughts of one of the most important and influential figures and books of the 20th Century,” said Schomburg Center Director Kevin Young. “The Autobiography of Malcolm X is a monumental work; to actually see how that book took shape through Malcolm X’s handwritten corrections and notes is very powerful. Additionally, the omitted chapter, believed to be removed after Malcolm X’s death, places the work in a new context, and provide an understanding as to why it was excluded from the book in the first place. The possibilities for new revelations are nearly endless, and we are so proud that the Schomburg Center can bring this material to light for the first time.”

The materials will arrive at the Schomburg Center in the coming weeks. Scholars interested in using the materials must make an appointment with the Schomburg Center’s Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books Division. More information can be found at Schomburg.org.

The Schomburg Center already holds and makes accessible to scholars over 16 linear feet of Malcolm X manuscript material, including a diary, letters, speeches, photographs, and journals. Those items are on long-term loan at the Schomburg Center from Malcolm X’s family.

Los Angeles -The original May 9, 1754 “Pennsylvania Gazette” newspaper featuring Benjamin Franklin’s famous “JOIN, or DIE” cartoon sold last night for $50,000 at Nate D. Sanders Auctions.

''JOIN, or DIE'' featuring a severed rattlesnake is widely considered the most influential political cartoon in American history. This edition of the “Pennsylvania Gazette” being auctioned is the first printing of the “JOIN, or DIE” cartoon. It is the only known copy besides the one held in the Library of Congress’ permanent collection.     

Franklin was exasperated by the colonists' failure to join forces with the French against westward expansion in the Seven Years’ War.  Franklin created the rattlesnake cartoon, sliced into eight pieces symbolizing the American colonies, to dramatically enforce the effective message: join together as one cohesive body, or die. Franklin also published an editorial in the “Pennsylvania Gazette,” urging the colonists to work together, reading in part, ''...The Confidence of the French in this Undertaking seems well-grounded on the present disunited State of the British Colonies ... while our Enemies have the very great Advantage of being under one Direction, with one  Council, and one Purse ...'' 

The symbol of the dis-united rattlesnake would echo over twenty years later to inspire the colonists to unite against the British.  In 1774, Paul Revere added the ''JOIN, or DIE'' cartoon to the nameplate of his paper, the ''Massachusetts Spy.'' In 1775, the Continental Marines used a coiled rattlesnake “Don’t Tread on Me'' flag as their motto. The phrase likely influenced John Stark, the New Hampshire Revolutionary War General whose toast was, ''Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils.'' Stark’s phrase inspired New Hampshire's motto and suggests that personal liberty is one of the highest human values and a founding principle of the United States. 

Franklin's choice of a rattlesnake is perplexing for several reasons: as the timber rattlesnake was found throughout the colonies but not in England. Franklin argued in a 1751 editorial that the colonists should ship rattlesnakes to England in exchange for the criminals that England was sending to America. Franklin seemed to embrace the rattlesnake as a metaphor and would argue its virtues during the American Revolution. 

Bidding on the newspaper began at $40,000. 

London—Monday 30th July is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Emily Brontë who wrote Wuthering Heights. Peter Harrington, the UK’s largest rare bookseller, is delighted to offer a first American edition of Wuthering Heights; an exceedingly rare collection of poems published by Emily, Charlotte and Anne Brontë and library sets of the Brontë sisters’ novels, for sale.

Wuthering Heights was published in 1847 under the pseudonym Ellis Bell and shocked readers with its ill-fated and unconventional relationship between Heathcliff and Cathy. Emily Brontë’s name didn’t appear in the first edition and she died in 1848 just a year after it was published, at the age of 30, without knowing how famous her and her novel would become.

This year also marks the 40th anniversary of the song ‘Wuthering Heights’ by Kate Bush. It was released in 1978 and was inspired by Emily Brontë’s novel and the fact that Kate Bush shares a birthday with Emily Brontë. Kate Bush will be 60 on Monday 30th July.

As Pom Harrington the owner of Peter Harrington says “Emily Brontë only wrote one novel which became a literary classic after her death. The first and second English editions of Wuthering Heights are extremely rare, so we are pleased to be able to offer this first American edition of her famous novel for sale. Emily along with Charlotte and Anne also published ‘Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell’, (their pseudonyms), in 1846 which was the Brontë sisters first publication and we are delighted to have one of the first 1,000 copies of this very rare book for sale too.”  

This is an excellent copy of the first American edition, second overall edition of Wuthering Heights, published in New York in April 1848 by Harpers and Brothers and priced at 75 cents. The book does not contain Emily Brontë’s name and the publisher on the title page misattributed the book to Charlotte Brontë saying ‘By the author of Jane Eyre’.

The first English edition of Wuthering Heights was published in 1847 and the second English edition in December 1850, after the American edition. The first edition was rushed out by the publisher Thomas Cautley Newby in December 1847 to try and capitalize on the unexpected success of Jane Eyre, which was published by one of Newby’s rivals. Newby then embarked on an advertising campaign to confuse the identity of the three Bell “brothers”, suggesting that all the novels were the work of one person which led to the mistaken attribution on the title page of this edition.

Peter Harrington is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association and offers an unconditional guarantee of every item’s authenticity and completeness as described.

New York—The Morgan Library & Museum is proud to announce the gift of Wall Drawing 552D by the LeWitt Family, in honor of Richard and Ronay Menschel. This large-scale drawing will be on view at the Morgan beginning summer 2018.  As one of the pioneers of Conceptual art, LeWitt first became famous for his three-dimensional structures based on variations on the square and the cube. Turning to drawing shortly after, LeWitt radically transformed the medium through innovative approaches such as drawing directly on the wall.

In celebration of his legacy, Wall Drawing 552D will be presented in Gilbert Court for at least two years. LeWitt’s tilted cube playfully complements Renzo Piano’s geometric architecture, notably the nearby Clare Eddy Thaw Gallery, informally referred to as “the cube.”

In a radical gesture, LeWitt made his first wall drawing by drawing directly on the wall in pencil, for an exhibition at Paula Cooper Gallery in 1968. “In conceptual art the idea or concept is the most important aspect of the work,” wrote LeWitt in 1967, “All of the planning and decisions are made beforehand and the execution is a perfunctory affair.” Consistent with his groundbreaking writings on the subject, each wall drawing exists primarily as a set of detailed written instructions, which are then executed by draftspersons. At the end of exhibition, the drawing is painted over, challenging conventional notions of artistic authorship and status. Visitors will be able to witness the installation process for Wall Drawing 552D between June 29 and August 22, 2018. 

LeWitt conceived over a thousand such wall drawings using graphite, colored pencil, crayon, ink, ink wash, and acrylic. Many of LeWitt’s wall drawings from the 1980s feature the cube and its derivative forms, but with a heightened interest in color and perception. To achieve rich and luminous surfaces—inspired by his visits to Italian Renaissance frescoes—LeWitt devised a specific system of superimposing pigments, layer upon wet layer, with ink-soaked rags

Several wall drawings are visible today in public spaces in Manhattan, such as the lobby of the Museum of Modern Art, the Jewish Museum, the lobby of 26 Federal Plaza, and the 59th Street-Columbus Circle subway station. However, Wall Drawing 552D is a rare example of LeWitt’s use of ink washes. First conceived and created in 1987 at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh, Scotland, it will be approximately 20 feet high and 30 feet wide. 

“Sol LeWitt’s work has not only transformed the world of art, but has also enlivened and enriched the atmosphere of numerous public spaces,” said Colin B. Bailey, director of the Morgan. “Since 2010, the Gilbert Court has been the site of exciting public installations of contemporary art. We are grateful to the LeWitt Family for this generous gift and delighted to pay tribute to the twentieth century master.”

The Morgan will celebrate the wall drawing during Free Friday hours on Friday, September 7, 7-9 PM, with a screening of the documentary Sol LeWitt: Wall Drawings (2010), directed by Edgar B. Howard and Tom Piper and a special “pop-up” bar.

The Book Club of California is delighted to announce that John Windle and Chris Loker have funded an annual lecture series titled, “The Windle - Loker Lecture Series on the History of the Illustrated Book.” The lecture series is scheduled through 2022, and will bring to Book Club venues important national and international experts who will speak on the illustrated book within these five eras: 

·      Medieval and renaissance manuscript illustration (11th to 15th century)

·      Early woodcut illustration in printed books (16th to 18th century)

·      Pre-Raphaelite / Art Nouveau book illustration (19th century)

·      Artist book illustration (20th and 21st century)

·      The Future of the illustrated book (21st century and beyond)

This lecture series will occur once a year as a Monday evening presentation, offered to Club members and their guests. It will explore the beauty, scholarship, and stunning craftsmanship of illustrated books from medieval times to today. The final lecture in the series will furnish intriguing insights into the possible future of the illustrated book in our hypertext world, a fascinating and timely topic. The five lectures will be presented either in San Francisco, Los Angeles or San Diego, to allow Club members throughout California the opportunity over time to participate in this enjoyable evening program in different locations.

The Windle - Loker Lecture Series will focus on presenting some of the most distinguished subject matter experts in their fields. They will hale from across the US and from the UK, and will present us with tales of alluring books and full-color images of the best the illustrated codex has offered over the centuries. The first lecture will occur on August 6, 2018 with the academic (and entertaining) team of famed book collector Mark Samuels Lasner and Margaret D. Stetz from the University of Delaware, speaking on Pre-Raphaelite and Art Nouveau book illustration. The second lecture, in 2019, will feature speaker Dan De Simone, whose special collections career has included tenures at the Library of Congress and the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C.—Dan will speak on the topic of early woodcut illustration in printed books.

John Windle, an antiquarian bookseller for fifty years and a Club member for much of that time, has served on the BCC board several times, most recently as Vice President and as chair of the Publications Committee. His well-known bookshop, John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller, is located just a few blocks from our Club. John is a constant supporter of all aspects of the BCC, also serves on the board of the Bancroft Library, and is a long-standing member of the Grolier Club. Chris Loker, John’s wife, has worked with him in the antiquarian book business for fifteen years, specializing in antiquarian children’s books. She recently curated the successful Grolier Club exhibition One Hundred Books Famous in Children’s Literature, and will publish in May 2019 the academic volume A Shimmer of Joy: Children’s Picture Books in America, 1900-2015. Chris currently serves on the Grolier Club Council and is the chair of their Publications Committee. She also serves on the board of Rare Book School in Charlottesville, VA. John and Chris are delighted to support the Book Club with the Windle - Loker Lecture Series, and look forward to seeing Club members at those lecture events.

Los Angeles—The original May 9, 1754 “Pennsylvania Gazette” newspaper featuring Benjamin Franklin’s famous “JOIN, or DIE” cartoon will be auctioned by Nate D. Sanders Auctions on July 26, 2018.

''JOIN, or DIE'' featuring a severed rattlesnake is widely considered the most influential political cartoon in American history. This edition of the “Pennsylvania Gazette” being auctioned is the first printing of the “JOIN, or DIE” cartoon. It is the only known copy besides the one held in the Library of Congress’ permanent collection.     

Franklin was exasperated by the colonists' failure to join forces with the French against westward expansion in the Seven Years’ War.  Franklin created the rattlesnake cartoon, sliced into eight pieces symbolizing the American colonies, to dramatically enforce the effective message: join together as one cohesive body, or die. Franklin also published an editorial in the “Pennsylvania Gazette,” urging the colonists to work together, reading in part, ''...The Confidence of the French in this Undertaking seems well-grounded on the present disunited State of the British Colonies ... while our Enemies have the very great Advantage of being under one Direction, with one  Council, and one Purse ...'' 

The symbol of the dis-united rattlesnake would echo over twenty years later to inspire the colonists to unite against the British.  In 1774, Paul Revere added the ''JOIN, or DIE'' cartoon to the nameplate of his paper, the ''Massachusetts Spy.'' In 1775, the Continental Marines used a coiled rattlesnake “Don’t Tread on Me'' flag as their motto. The phrase likely influenced John Stark, the New Hampshire Revolutionary War General whose toast was, ''Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils.'' Stark’s phrase inspired New Hampshire's motto and suggests that personal liberty is one of the highest human values and a founding principle of the United States. 

Franklin's choice of a rattlesnake is perplexing for several reasons: as the timber rattlesnake was found throughout the colonies but not in England. Franklin argued in a 1751 editorial that the colonists should ship rattlesnakes to England in exchange for the criminals that England was sending to America. Franklin seemed to embrace the rattlesnake as a metaphor and would argue its virtues during the American Revolution. 

Bidding on the newspaper begins at $40,000. 

Additional information on the newspaper can be found at 
https://natedsanders.com/__JOIN__or_DIE___Newspaper_From_Benjamin_Franklin_-LOT49832.aspx

Dallas, TX - The vast personal collection of Neil Armstrong, who as the first man to walk on the moon changed the course of human history, will be presented in a series of auctions beginning November 1-2, 2018 by Heritage Auctions. The Armstrong Family Collection will offer never-before-seen artifacts from his momentous lunar landing to private mementos - including pieces of a wing and propeller from the 1903 Wright Brothers flight that Armstrong took with him to the moon, a gold pin from Gemini VIII, Armstrong’s first mission, and historic correspondence about the planning that went into the moon mission.  The auctions will coincide with the 50th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 mission. 

“There will be flown items, autographed items and items of historical significance,” son Mark Armstrong said. “There will be items that make you think, items that make you laugh and items that make you scratch your head.” 

On July 20, 1969, a global audience glued to their TVs, as Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface with his now legendary words: “That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” The event marked a new era for humanity, and established the United States’ technological dominance and influence as a superpower.

“He was never about himself, so I would expect that he didn’t give much thought about how he would be remembered,” son Rick Armstrong said. “With that being said, I think he would be pleased to be remembered as being part of a program that demonstrated amazing things can be achieved when people come together to dedicate themselves towards a common goal.” 

The Armstrong Family Collection is an extraordinary archive, chronicling the life and career of one of the most historic figures of the 20th century through the lens of the objects he loved, collected, and preserved for decades. Heritage Auctions has scheduled three auctions for the collection, the first time these personal items have been offered for sale: November 1-2, 2018; May 9-10, 2019; and November 2019.

Among the highlights of the 2,000+ items in the Armstrong Family Collection:

• Apollo 11 Robbins Medallions, including an extremely rare gold example, which were flown on the famous lunar landing mission. Minted by the Robbins Company, of Attleboro, Massachusetts, the sterling silver medallions were paid for by the crews and available for purchase only by NASA astronauts.
• Material from the Wright Brothers Flyer, the plane that accomplished the first successful manned flight in 1903. Armstrong carried fragments of the wing and propeller on Apollo 11.
• A Purdue University Centennial, 1869-1969, Silk Flag, flown on Apollo 11 and carried by Armstrong to the moon. Purdue was Armstrong’s beloved alma mater.
• Important Correspondence, including a truly unique and historical document underscoring the planning behind the landmark event. In a letter, a NASA public affairs official states to the Apollo program manager that he felt it should be left up to the astronauts to decide what to say when they walk on the surface of the moon.
• A gold pin flown on Gemini VIII, Armstrong’s first spaceflight. A damaged thruster almost cost Armstrong and his fellow crewmember their lives, but Armstrong expertly guided the spacecraft safely back to earth.
• Armstrong’s Boy Scouts Cap. Armstrong became an Eagle Scout—the organization’s highest rank—at the age of 17. 

To prepare the collection for auction, the Armstrong family is collaborating with Collectibles Authentication Guaranty, a firm tasked with preserving and documenting the collection’s authenticity and provenance. The firm, a member of the Certified Collectibles Group, is working in conjunction with Heritage Auctions to ensure every item from the collection is photographed and cataloged so that, if needed, they can be referenced later for research or any other purpose. 

“Neil Armstrong’s bravery and skill defines what it means to be an American hero,” said Todd Imhof, executive vice president at Heritage Auctions. “We are privileged to be working closely with the Armstrong family to honor Neil’s lifetime legacy with items reflective of all his achievements, not just his famous lunar landing. These are some of the most iconic historical items ever to be sold.”

The Armstrong Family Collection debuts at auction November 1-2, 2018 at Heritage Auctions.

Falls Church, VA - Quinn's Auction Galleries and its subsidiary Waverly Rare Books & Prints will host a July 26 Fine Art Prints, Posters, and Works on Paper sale at the company’s Falls Church, Virginia gallery. The 458-lot evening auction will commence at 6 p.m. Eastern time, with absentee and Internet live bidding available through LiveAuctioneers or Invaluable.

Works included in the auction range from the late 19th century to present day, with special attention paid to new collectors. “There are more than 200 lots with estimates of $400 or less,” said Catherine Payling, director of Waverly Rare Books & Prints. “Each is a carefully chosen, excellent-quality artwork that any collector would be proud to own and enjoy.”

Leading the selection is Marc Chagall’s (French/Russian, 1887-1985) color lithograph on Arches paper titled Avenue de la Victoire, Nice. It measures 24½ by 18 1/8 inches (sight), is artist-signed in pencil and numbered 59/150 from the 1967 Charles Sorlier edition “Nice and the Cote d’Azur.” This very rare lithograph is expected to bring an auction price of $10,000-$15,000.

A most unusual addition to the sale is an Andy Warhol (American, 1928-1987) cancelled silkscreen mesh from the circa-1962-1967 “Marilyn” serigraph series. The extremely rare artwork-in-negative comes with the original box that was used to transport it from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, to Warhol’s manager, Fred Hughes, at the artist’s Manhattan studio residence. From Mr. Hughes, the silkscreen mesh passed to the consignor, who worked at the Warhol Foundation. Estimate: $3,000-$5,000

A circa-1951/55 etching and aquatint by Aaron Douglas (American, 1899-1979) titled Three Trees (Vineyard Haven) depicts a gentle waterside setting at a Martha’s Vineyard (Mass.) community long favored by African-American artists who vacationed there. The atmospheric work captures the trio of trees swaying in the wind amid distinctive island vegetation. Measuring 6¼ by 10 inches (full sheet), it will be offered at auction at Quinn’s for only the second time in 60+ years. Estimate: $4,000-$6,000.

There are two monotypes in the sale by Washington, D.C.-area favorite Sam Gilliam (b. 1933-). A Fog in the Hollow, 1974, is signed and dated in pencil and measures 32½ by 45 inches, framed. Peter’s Tweeter, a 1974 serigraph and string in colors on rag paper is also pencil-signed and dated by the artist, measuring 28¾ by 39 inches, framed. The works will be auctioned consecutively, each with a $3,000-$5,000 estimate. 

One of the greatest of all nature photographers, Ansel Adams (American, 1902-1984) is represented in the auction by a 1947 gelatin silver print titled Fresh Snow, Yosemite Valley, California. An un-editioned press photograph, it was used in promotional material for “Ansel Adams and the West,” a Museum of Modern Art (NYC) exhibition that ran in September and October of 1979. It comes with the original press release and advance fact sheet from the show and is estimated at $3,000-$5,000.

More modestly estimated but no less desirable, a devilish 1906 Leonetto Cappiello (French, 1875-1942) lithographed poster advertising the absinthe aperitif “Maurin Quina” was printed by P. Vercasson, Rue de Lancry, Paris, and is reasonably estimated at $800-$1,200. Another fine choice for new to intermediate collectors, or those who simply want an artistic splash of color for their walls, is Graham Sutherland’s (British, 1903-1980) vibrant travel poster designed in 1964 for the Cote d’Azur Alpes Maritimes Affiche. Originally aimed at the German market, its imagery and message promote travel to France’s Cote d’Azur. Estimate: $300-$500.

The sale includes original drawings, watercolors and mixed-media pieces by many other artists favored by collectors but too numerous to mention, including Dali, Toulouse-Lautrec, Whistler, and Rockwell Kent. Additionally, there are more than a dozen 20th-century self-portraits by such artists as Knaths, Martin Lewis, Isaac Friedlander and Prentiss Taylor.

Quinn’s Thursday, July 26, 2018 Modern Prints, Poster & Works on Paper gallery auction will commence at 6 p.m. Eastern Time. All remote forms of bidding will also be available, including absentee, phone and live via the Internet through LiveAuctioneers.com or Invaluable.com. For additional information on any item in the auction, call 703-532-5632, ext. 575; or email waverly@quinnsauction.com. Quinn’s is located at 360 S. Washington St., Falls Church, VA 22046. Online: www.quinnsauction.com.

Dallas, TX - Collectors and fans of comics and comic art can download a copy of the 48th edition of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide 2018-19 through Heritage Auctions, at HA.com.

Clients who bought the 47th edition are eligible to receive a discounted download of the newest version, and those who ordered last year’s version within the last 30 days qualify for a free upgrade to the newest version - a $30 value.

Regarded as the definitive resource in the hobby, the guide, which is available for $30, covers more than a century of comic book history. Among the most important and useful features is users’ ability to search lots through the use of keywords, including the title of a book, the name of the lead character, the company that produced the book or the artist and/or writer.

Considered a must-have tool among collectors of all levels, the Overstreet guide is a thoroughly researched volume that is alphabetically indexed and includes extensive pricing, historical information and insights in the comics and comic art marketplace.

The 48th edition of the Overstreet guide is available in formats that support both PC and Mac operating systems.

“The best collectors are those armed with the most information, and this guide is the ultimate resource of all kinds of valuable information that comics collectors need,” Heritage Auctions grader and consignment director Aaron White said. “One of the goals of all departments at Heritage Auctions is to make sure our clients have the information needed to be confident and comfortable with the decisions they make, and the Overstreet guide provides that.”

The newest Overstreet Price Guide cover features images of the Green Lantern and the Flash by artist Ethan Van Sciver. Also included are a movie poster-styled tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Planet of the Apes. The Hall of Fame limited edition features new American Flagg artwork by creator Howard Chaykin.

The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide can be downloaded here for just $30, offering collectors access to an unmatched cache of information in a new format that is one of the best investments available in the hobby. Those who ordered the 2017-18 version of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide within the last month may request a free digital upgrade by sending an e-mail to Webmaster@HA.com.

Dayton, OH - Writer John Irving (The World According to Garp, The Cider House Rules, A Prayer for Owen Meany), whose novels champion outsiders and often explore the bigotry, intolerance, and hatred directed at sexual minorities, will receive the 2018 Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award, organizers of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize announced today.

Named in honor of the celebrated U.S. diplomat who played an instrumental role in negotiating the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords that ended the war in Bosnia, the award will be presented to Irving at the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Gala on October 28, 2018. Founded in 2006, The Dayton Literary Peace Prize is the only international literary peace prize awarded in the United States. It honors writers whose works use the power of literature to foster peace, social justice, and global understanding. The Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award recognizes authors for their complete body of work.

Born in 1942, Irving published his first novel, Setting Free the Bears, in 1968 when he was twenty-six. He has been nominated for a National Book Award three times — winning once, in 1980, for his novel The World According to Garp, the story of T.S. Garp, a man born out of wedlock to a feminist leader. He received an O. Henry Award in 1981 for his short story “Interior Space.” In 2000, Irving won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for his novel The Cider House Rules, which explores the complex issues of abortion, racism, and addiction. In 2012, Irving won a Lambda Literary Award for his novel In One Person, the coming of age story of a bisexual man grappling with his sexual identity. His novels have been translated into more than thirty-five languages and his all-time best-selling novel, in every language, is A Prayer for Owen Meany, which deals with matters of faith, spirituality, and social justice. Irving, who lives in Toronto, is currently at work on his fifteenth novel — a ghost story called Darkness as a Bride. 

“John Irving’s body of work creates worlds that allow the reader to explore the contradictions of twisted morality, the consequences of suspicions of the other, the absurdities of pride and ignorance, and the tragedy of a lack of sympathy and empathy for our fellow humans: characteristics that make peace unreachable,” said Sharon Rab, the founder and chair of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation. “Through books—especially Irving’s books—readers learn to understand and identify with people who are different from themselves.” 

On winning the Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award, Irving said: “Novels and stories invite people into a writer’s worldview. For forty years and counting, I’ve written about sexual difference and sexual minorities — at times, when the prevailing literary culture labeled it bizarre or niche. I’ve written with the hope that the bigotry, hatred, and flat-out violence perpetrated on sexual minorities would become a relic of the past. In that sense I’ve written in protest — I’ve written protest novels. And yet, if I’ve written characters whose stories give them access to the breadth of human experience and emotion, I’ve done my job as a writer. Novels are my platform; if a prize helps bring attention to my subject matter, then I welcome it.”

Irving will join the ranks of past winners of the Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award, formerly called the Lifetime Achievement Award, including Studs Terkel (2006), Elie Wiesel (2007), Taylor Branch (2008), Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn (2009), Geraldine Brooks (2010), Barbara Kingsolver (2011), Tim O'Brien (2012), Wendell Berry (2013), Louise Erdrich (2014), Gloria Steinem (2015), Marilynne Robinson (2016), and Colm Tóibín (2017).  

Finalists for the 2018 Dayton Literary Peace Prize will be announced on August 14, 2018.

About the Dayton Literary Peace Prize

The Dayton Literary Peace Prize honors writers whose work uses the power of literature to foster peace, social justice, and global understanding. Launched in 2006, it has established itself as one of the world’s most prestigious literary honors, and is the only literary peace prize awarded in the United States. As an offshoot of the Dayton Peace Prize, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize awards a $10,000 cash prize each year to one fiction and one nonfiction author whose work advances peace as a solution to conflict, and leads readers to a better understanding of other cultures, peoples, religions, and political points of view. Additionally, the Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award is bestowed upon a writer whose body of work reflects the Prize's mission; previous honorees include Wendell Berry, Taylor Branch, Geraldine Brooks, Louise Erdrich, Barbara Kingsolver, Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, Tim O'Brien, Marilynne Robinson, Gloria Steinem, Studs Terkel, Colm Tóibín and Elie Wiesel. For more information visit the Dayton Literary Peace Prize media center at http://daytonliterarypeaceprize.org/press.htm.