Walter Mosley to receive National Book Foundation lifetime achievement award

By Christian Spencer

·October 4, 2020

Walter Mosley moderates a discussion at the "Spotlight On Screenwriting: Boyz n the Hood 25th Anniversary Screening With John Singleton And Walter Mosley" presented by The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences at SVA on June 12, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)

The National Book Foundation has announced renowned author Walter Mosley will be the recipient of its 2020 lifetime achievement award.

The famed 68-year-old bestselling author will be first Black man to receive the award.

Walter Mosley moderates a discussion at the “Spotlight On Screenwriting: Boyz n the Hood 25th Anniversary Screening With John Singleton And Walter Mosley” presented by The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences at SVA on June 12, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)

Mosley has a reputation of writing short stories that do well in book clubs. He was also President Bill Clinton’s favorite authors back in 1992, The Washington Post reported.

This is not first time Mosley got an award for his writing. He received the Edgar Award for best mystery novel and the O. Henry Prize for his short stories.

Mosley also won a Grammy for his liner notes to the Richard Pryor album “…And It’s Deep Too!”, ABC News reported.

His first novel, a mystery book titled Devil in a Blue Dress, was released in 1990. It was later adapted into the1995 film starring Denzel Washington and Don Cheadle.

Mosley also wrote a 1997 crime novel called Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned, which was turned into an HBO special starring Laurence Fishburne.

Mosley is responsible for many plays and penned essays and op-eds that were featured in newspapers such as The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times.

#Character development requires change. It calls for transformation, literal transmogrification—both change and the process of change.
WALTER MOSLEY #amwriting #fiction pic.twitter.com/Rt0lx7aXbO
— Jon Winokur (@AdviceToWriters) October 3, 2020

According to NewsOne, he is an advocate for diversity in the publishing industry, and he founded a publishing certificate program at the City University of New York (CUNY) to empower disadvantaged students through workshops and career development opportunities.

“Mosley is undeniably prolific, but what sets his work apart is his examination of both complex issues and intimate realities through the lens of characters in his fiction, as well as his accomplished historical narrative works and essays,” executive director of the National Book Foundation Lisa Lucas said in a statement.

“His oeuvre and his lived experience are distinctly part of the American experience. And as such, his contributions to our culture make him more than worthy of the Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.”

Mosley is expected to receive his award on November 18.

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