Mexican-American writer Sandra Cisneros, best known for her coming-of-age novel The House on Mango Street, has been named winner of the 2019 PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature.
“In a formidable and awe-inspiring body of work, which includes fiction, memoir and poetry, Cisneros brings us astounding and lyrical voices from burning, maligned, devastated as well as reassembled houses and nations,” they said in a statement. “It’s hard to imagine navigating our world today without her stories and her voice guiding us toward much-needed reclamation and endurance.”
“Cisneros has not only changed the world of international literature, she has expanded American literature to include the Americas beyond the United States, inspiring a new era of Latinx writers we see emerging today, many of whom are shortlisted for our book awards,” said Nadxieli Nieto, program director of the PEN America Literary Awards.
The award, which comes with a $50,000 prize, will be presented to Cisneros on Feb. 26 in New York. Also to be recognized at the PEN America ceremony are achievements in drama, sports writing and editing.
