The Power of Story with Pulitzer Prize Winning Colson Whitehead

Illinois Libraries Present is thrilled to welcome two-time Pulitzer Prize winning author Colson Whitehead to our Illinois libraries. The Power of Story with Colson Whitehead will take place via Zoom on Wednesday, September 6, at 7 PM.

Whitehead is only the fourth author to win two Pulitzer Prizes for fiction. His novel, The Underground Railroad, a #1 New York Times bestseller, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2017, as well as the National Book Award and the Carnegie Medal for Fiction. Whitehead was awarded his second Pulitzer Prize in 2020 for The Nickel Boys.

Crook Manifesto, Whitehead’s latest release and the second book in the Harlem Trilogy, was published in July 2023. It’s a darkly funny tale of a city under siege, but also a sneakily searching portrait of the meaning of family. The author’s other books include Harlem Shuffle, The Noble Hustle, Zone One, Sag Harbor, The Intuitionist, John Henry Days, Apex Hides the Hurt, and a collection of essays.

This event is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present, a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier events. ILP is funded in part by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). ILP is committed to inclusion and accessibility.