Colson Whitehead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Colson Whitehead
|
|
|---|---|
Whitehead in 2014
|
|
| Born | Arch Colson Chipp Whitehead November 6, 1969 New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Education | Harvard University (BA) |
| Genre | Fiction, non-fiction |
| Notable works | The Intuitionist (1999), John Henry Days (2001), Zone One (2011), The Underground Railroad (2016), The Nickel Boys (2019) |
| Notable awards | National Book Award for Fiction (2016) Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (2017 and 2020) |
| Spouse | Julie Barer |
| Children | 2 |
Colson Whitehead (born November 6, 1969) is a famous American novelist. He has written many books, including nine novels and two nonfiction books.
He is well-known for his novels The Underground Railroad (2016) and The Nickel Boys (2019). Both of these books won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, which is a very important award for writers. Winning it twice is a rare achievement! In 2002, he also received a MacArthur Fellowship, which is a special award given to talented people.
Contents
Early Life
Colson Whitehead was born in New York City on November 6, 1969. He grew up in Manhattan. His parents were successful business owners.
As a child, he used his first name, Arch, then later Chipp, before settling on Colson. He went to Trinity School in Manhattan. After that, he studied at Harvard University and graduated in 1991. While in college, he became good friends with the poet Kevin Young.
Career
After college, Whitehead started writing for a newspaper called The Village Voice. It was there that he began to write his first novels.
Whitehead has written 11 books. Nine of these are novels, and two are nonfiction. His books often explore different ideas and times in American history.
Some of his well-known novels include:
- The Intuitionist (1999)
- John Henry Days (2001)
- Zone One (2011), which became a New York Times bestseller
- The Underground Railroad (2016)
- The Nickel Boys (2019)
- Harlem Shuffle (2021)
- Crook Manifesto (2023)
His first novel, The Intuitionist, was praised by magazines like Esquire and GQ. Famous novelist John Updike called Whitehead "ambitious" and "strikingly original."
Whitehead's nonfiction writings, essays, and reviews have appeared in many popular publications. These include The New York Times and The New Yorker.
.jpg)
In 2014, he published a nonfiction book called The Noble Hustle: Poker, Beef Jerky & Death. This book was about his experience at the 2011 World Series of Poker.
Colson Whitehead has also taught writing at several universities. These include Princeton University, New York University, and Columbia University.
In 2015, he started writing a column about language for The New York Times Magazine.
The Underground Railroad
His novel The Underground Railroad became very popular. It was chosen by Oprah Winfrey for her book club. President Barack Obama also picked it as one of his summer reading books.
In 2017, the novel won the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. It also won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The judges said the book was a clever mix of real-life events and made-up stories. It showed the harshness of slavery and the bravery of escape.
The Nickel Boys
Whitehead's seventh novel, The Nickel Boys, came out in 2019. This book was inspired by a real school in Florida called the Dozier School for Boys. At this school, children faced unfair treatment.
The Nickel Boys also won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2020. The judges described it as a powerful story about how people can keep going, stay strong, and find hope even in difficult times. This made Colson Whitehead one of only four writers to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction twice! A movie based on The Nickel Boys is also being made, and Whitehead is helping to produce it.
Recent Novels
Whitehead's eighth novel, Harlem Shuffle, is a crime story set in Harlem in the 1960s. He worked on this book for years. It was published in 2021. His ninth novel, Crook Manifesto, which continues the story from Harlem Shuffle, was published in 2023.
Personal Life
Colson Whitehead lives in Manhattan. He also has a home in Sag Harbor on Long Island. His wife, Julie Barer, works as a literary agent. They have two children.
Honors
Colson Whitehead has received many awards and honors for his writing:
- 2000: Whiting Award
- 2002: MacArthur Fellowship
- 2007: Cullman Center for Writers and Scholars Fellowship
- 2012: Dos Passos Prize
- 2013: Guggenheim Fellowship
- 2018: Harvard Arts Medal
- 2020: Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction
- 2023: National Humanities Medal
- 2024: Langston Hughes Medal
See also
In Spanish: Colson Whitehead para niños
