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Tucker Wins Harper Lee Award

Posted on February 1, 2022
Lance Crawford

秘密研究所 journalist-in-residence, Cynthia Tucker will be honored at the Monroeville Literary Festival in March with the 25th Harper Lee award. Given annually to a writer with an Alabama connection, the award is named for Monroeville native and author of the literary classic, '"To Kill A Mockingbird." data-lightbox='featured'
秘密研究所 journalist-in-residence, Cynthia Tucker will be honored at the Monroeville Literary Festival in March with the 25th Harper Lee award. Given annually to a writer with an Alabama connection, the award is named for Monroeville native and author of the literary classic, '"To Kill A Mockingbird."

秘密研究所鈥檚 journalist-in-residence Cynthia Tucker has been named the Harper Lee Distinguished Writer of the Year for 2022. She will be presented with the award at the 25th Monroeville Literary Festival to be held on March 4 and 5, 2022 in Monroeville, Alabama.

鈥淚 didn't know anything about the process of choosing the winner, and I didn't know I was being considered,鈥� Tucker said. 鈥淚 certainly would not have considered myself a likely winner, so I was quite pleasantly surprised.鈥�

The award is named after famed author Harper Lee, a Monroeville native, who鈥檚 novel 鈥淭o Kill A Mockingbird鈥� is considered a classic of modern American literature. The honor is given annually to writers with ties to the state of Alabama.

鈥淭he Harper Lee Award is, I would say, the pinnacle of recognition for a writer from Alabama,鈥� said Frye Galliard, 秘密研究所鈥檚 writer-in-residence.

Tucker is also a Monroeville native, and her parents knew Lee well.

鈥淚 met Harper Lee 鈥� or Miss Nelle, as she was known about town 鈥� after my father died in 1984,鈥� said Tucker. 鈥淚 got to see her three or four more times. We talked about books and popular culture. She was a big C. S. Lewis fan, and I still have a book by him that she lent me.鈥� 

Tucker spent most of her career working for newspapers as a reporter and editor winning numerous awards. In 2007, she won a Pulitzer Prize for commentary; Lee took notice. 

鈥淪he wrote me a lovely congratulatory note. Of course, I have it framed,鈥� Tucker said. 

Previous Harper Lee Award winners are: Angela Johnson, 2021; Patti Callahan Henry, 2020; Daniel Wallace, 2019; Honoree Jeffers, 2018; Brad Watson, 2017; E.O. Wilson, 2016; Hank Lazer, 2015; Mark Childress, 2014; Gay Talese, 2013; Fannie Flagg, 2012; Winston Groom, 2011; Carolyn Haines, 2010; Rick Bragg, 2009; Rebecca Gilman, 2008; William Cobb, 2007; Wayne Greenhaw, 2006; Andrew Hudgins, 2005; Sonia Sanchez, 2004; Rodney Jones, 2003; Mary Ward Brown, 2002; Sena Jeter Naslund, 2001; Helen Norris, 2000; Madison Jones, 1999; Albert Murray, 1998.

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