Pulitzer 2024: What to Read from This Year’s Prize Winners

The Pulitzer Prize is among the most prestigious distinctions in literature and journalism. Established in 1917, it has long recognized authors who address topics that resonate with the spirit of their time.

This year, the jury again honoured bold and thought-provoking voices—writers who dare to ask difficult questions. The 2024 laureates prove that literature can shift how we perceive the world, regardless of form—fiction, biography, drama, or nonfiction.

A New Voice, a Familiar Story

In the Fiction category, the prize went to Percival Everett for “James”—a daring reimagining of Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”, told from the perspective of Jim, the enslaved man.

It’s a powerful story about freedom, racism, and the absurdities of white supremacy. Critics have praised the novel as a literary experiment with a strong moral core.

From Theater to Intergenerational Memory

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins won the Drama category award for “Purpose”, a play about an upper-middle-class African American family whose father played a significant role in the Civil Rights Movement.

The 2024 Pulitzer Prizes also recognized two works in the History category. Edda L. Fields-Black was awarded for “Combee: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom During the Civil War”, an in-depth look at a pivotal episode of resistance led by Tubman. Kathleen DuVal received the prize for “Native Nations: A Millennium in North” America, a sweeping account that traces Indigenous peoples’ long and complex history across the continent.

Biography, Memoir, and Poetry

This year’s list of winners also includes:

Jason Roberts, “Every Living Thing: The Great and Deadly Race to Know All Life”, a biography of the scientific race to understand life on Earth,
Tessa Hulls, “Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir”, an illustrated account of trauma passed down through three generations of Chinese women,
Benjamin Nathans’s “To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet Dissident Movement is a detailed exploration of Soviet-era dissidents.

In the Poetry category, Marie Howe won the award for “What the Earth Seemed to Say”, a subtle, meditative collection about human emotions and everyday life.

Why It Matters

The 2024 Pulitzer Prize winners offer a compelling look at America’s past and present—from reimagined classics and personal histories to cultural memory and civil rights. This year’s list is a perfect place to start for anyone seeking powerful, relevant, and beautifully crafted writing.

Sources:

The Pulitzer Prizes