Everett's acclaimed reworking of Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" from the perspective of Jim, Huck Finn's enslaved companion, has already received the National Book Award and the Kirkus Prize and is a finalist for a National Book Critics Circle award.
“Percival Everett has written a modern masterpiece, a beautiful and important work that offers a fresh perspective from the eyes of a classic character,” Allison Escoto, chair of the award's selection committee, said in a statement.
Percival Everett's 'James' awarded Carnegie Medal for fiction Percival Everett's latest honor comes from the country's public libraries.
“James” has even topped The New York Times fiction hardcover list, a rare feat in recent years for a literary work that wasn’t a major book club pick or movie tie-in.
On Sunday, the American Library Association announced that Everett's “James” was this year's winner of the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, which includes a $5,000 cash award.
