Colson Whitehead
Awards & Honours
38
Awards Won
5
Honours
3
Rankings
2
Covers
2
Records
Colson Whitehead stands as a titan of modern American letters, achieving a level of critical and commercial success rarely seen in a single lifetime. His record-breaking achievement of winning the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction twice places him in an elite club alongside literary giants like William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway. Beyond the Pulitzers, he has swept the National Book Award and the Andrew Carnegie Medal, proving his versatility across genres from historical fiction to science fiction. His work has been translated into over 30 languages, making him a truly global voice. Being named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in 2017 further cements his status as a cultural force who shapes the national conversation on race and history.
Awards
Honours & Distinctions
Louis Auchincloss Prize
Honoring contributions to literature and connection to New York City.
Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Election to the academy recognizing distinguished achievements.
Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters
Recognition of outstanding contribution to American literature.
Honorary Degree
Doctor of Humane Letters awarded for literary achievement.
Honorary Degree
Doctor of Humane Letters awarded for literary achievement.
Rankings & Lists
100 Most Influential People
Greatest Novels of the 21st Century
100 Best Books of the Decade
Magazine Covers
TIME
April 2017
The New American Master
The New Yorker
October 2020
The Second Pulitzer Winner
Records & Feats
Second Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
One of only four authors in history to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction twice.
National Book Award and Pulitzer Sweep
Won both the National Book Award for Fiction and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for the same novel, The Underground Railroad.