Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence
1 appearances
-
Edition 6 (2012) Winner
Stephanie Powell Watts
ステファニー・パウエル・ワッツ
Sutefanī Paueru Wattsu
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- Lenoir, North Carolina, United States
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Lenoir, North Carolina, United States (birthplace) → Pennsylvania (resides; affiliated with Lehigh University)
Career
- Occupations
- Author, University professor
- Active Years
- 2011-
- Affiliations
- Lehigh University (associate professor), University of Missouri (alumnus)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte | — | — | BA | — | United States |
| University of Missouri | — | English | PhD | — | United States |
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Degree:
BA
Country:
United States
Received BA
University of Missouri
English
Degree:
PhD
Country:
United States
Received PhD
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Whiting Award | — | — | The Whiting Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2012 | Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence | We Are Taking Only What We Need | — | Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence | 受賞 |
| — | Pushcart Prize | — | — | Pushcart Press | 受賞 |
Whiting Award
2013
Organization:
The Whiting Foundation
Result:
受賞
Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence
2012
Work:
We Are Taking Only What We Need
Organization:
Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence
Result:
受賞
Pushcart Prize
Organization:
Pushcart Press
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel
1 appearances
-
Edition 37 (2012) Nominee
Whiting Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 29 (2013) Winner
Works
Major Works
We Are Taking Only What We Need
2011 Short story collectionA collection of 11 stories chronicling the lives of African-American residents of North Carolina, depicting their struggles and everyday existence on the margins of the county.
homecomingracepovertyfamily
No One Is Coming to Save Us
2017 NovelFollows the return of a successful native son to his North Carolina hometown as he attempts to join the only family he ever wanted. The author described it as akin to 'The Great Gatsby' set in rural North Carolina, nine decades later.
returning homeclasshope and disillusionmentfamily
Bibliography
- We Are Taking Only What We Need (short story collection)
- No One Is Coming to Save Us (novel)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Realistic depictionRegionally rooted narratives
- Recurring Motifs
- home and returnfamily bondsracial and class tensions
Legacy
Stephanie Powell Watts is recognized for powerfully portraying African-American life in North Carolina and has received multiple literary awards. She is regarded as an important voice in contemporary Southern American fiction.
Quotes
-
Imagine The Great Gatsby set in rural North Carolina, nine decades later, with desperate black people.
Source: Author interview / book description (2017)
Trivia
- The short story collection We Are Taking Only What We Need contains 11 stories.
- Won the 2012 Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence for We Are Taking Only What We Need.
- Short fiction has been included in the Best New Stories from the South anthologies.