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 very famous American writer. He has written many novels and non-fiction books. He is known for winning some of the biggest awards in literature. These include the National Book Award for Fiction and two Pulitzer Prize for Fiction awards. Only a few writers have won the Pulitzer Prize twice!
Contents
Early Life and Education
Colson Whitehead was born in New York City on November 6, 1969. He grew up in Manhattan with his three siblings. His parents, Arch and Mary Anne Whitehead, were successful business owners.
As a child, he was called Arch, then Chipp, before he started using Colson. He went to Trinity School in Manhattan. Later, he studied at Harvard University and graduated in 1991. At college, he became good friends with the poet Kevin Young.
A Writer's Journey
After college, Whitehead started his career writing for a newspaper called The Village Voice. While working there, he began writing his first novels. He lived in Fort Greene, Brooklyn during his early writing days.
His Books and Stories
Colson Whitehead has written many books. He has published nine novels and two non-fiction books. His first novel, The Intuitionist, came out in 1999. It was named the best first novel of the year by Esquire magazine. Another magazine, GQ, called it one of the "novels of the millennium."
Some of his other popular novels include:
- John Henry Days (2001)
- The Colossus of New York (2003)
- Apex Hides the Hurt (2006)
- Sag Harbor (2009)
- Zone One (2011), which became a New York Times bestseller.
Whitehead also writes essays and reviews. These have appeared in well-known publications like The New York Times and The New Yorker.
.jpg)
Award-Winning Novels
Two of Colson Whitehead's novels have won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
The Underground Railroad
His 2016 novel, The Underground Railroad, tells a powerful story. It won the National Book Award for Fiction in 2016. It also won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2017. The book was so popular that Oprah Winfrey chose it for her book club. Even President Barack Obama included it on his summer reading list. Judges for the Pulitzer Prize said the book was a "smart melding of realism and allegory." It combined the harsh reality of slavery with the drama of escape.
The Nickel Boys
Whitehead's seventh novel, The Nickel Boys, was published in 2019. This book was inspired by a real story. It was about a reform school in Florida where children faced terrible abuse. The Nickel Boys won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2020. This made Colson Whitehead one of only four writers to win the prize twice! The judges described it as a "devastating exploration of abuse." They also noted it was a "powerful tale of human perseverance." A film based on The Nickel Boys is being made, and Whitehead is helping to produce it.
Recent Works
Whitehead's eighth novel, Harlem Shuffle, came out in 2021. It is a crime story set in Harlem in the 1960s. He worked on it for years, finishing parts of it during the COVID-19 pandemic. His ninth novel, Crook Manifesto, which is a follow-up to Harlem Shuffle, was published in 2023.
Personal Life
Colson Whitehead lives in Manhattan, New York City. He also has a home in Sag Harbor on Long Island. His wife, Julie Barer, works as a literary agent. They have two children together.
Awards and Recognitions
Colson Whitehead has received many honors for his writing.
- 2002: MacArthur Fellowship (often called a "genius grant")
- 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
