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Learn moreListen as Stephen King, one of America's most celebrated authors, shares his acceptance speech at the 2003 National Book Awards as he's awarded the illustrious Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters from the National Book Foundation.
Each Autumn, in conjunction with the conferring of The National Book Awards in Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Young People's Literature, the Board of Directors of the Foundation presents a Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. The recipient is a person who has enriched our literary heritage over a life of service, or a corpus of work. The 2003 recipient of this distinguished award was presented to one of the great voices of American literatureโStephen King.
King accepts the award with grace and wit. His acceptance speech is filled with loving thanks to his wife Tabitha and with a passionate appreciation of his craft. King reflects on bridging the gap between literary and popular writers as well as staying true to his work and to himself over the many years. He concludes his speech by saluting all the nominees and with his sincerest hope that "you'll find something to read that will fill you up as this evening has filled me up."
Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers.ย His recent work includesย Never Flinch, the short story collectionย You Like It Darker,ย Hollyย (aย New York Timesย Notable Book of 2023),ย Fairy Tale,ย Billy Summers,ย If It Bleeds,ย The Institute,ย Elevation,ย The Outsider,ย Sleeping Beautiesย (cowritten with his son Owen King), and the Bill Hodges trilogy:ย End of Watch,ย Findersย Keepers,ย andย Mr. Mercedesย (an Edgar Award winnerย for Best Novel and a television series streaming on Peacock). His novelย 11/22/63ย was named aย top ten book of 2011 byย Theย New York Timesย Book Reviewย and won theย Los Angeles Timesย Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic worksย The Dark Tower,ย It,ย Pet Sematary,ย Doctor Sleep, andย Firestarterย are the basis forย major motion pictures, withย Itย now the highest-grossing horror film of all time. He is the recipientย of the 2020 Audio Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, theย 2014 National Medal of Arts, and theย 2003 National Book Foundation Medal forย Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.ย He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife,ย novelist Tabitha King.ย
Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers.ย His recent work includesย Never Flinch, the short story collectionย You Like It Darker,ย Hollyย (aย New York Timesย Notable Book of 2023),ย Fairy Tale,ย Billy Summers,ย If It Bleeds,ย The Institute,ย Elevation,ย The Outsider,ย Sleeping Beautiesย (cowritten with his son Owen King), and the Bill Hodges trilogy:ย End of Watch,ย Findersย Keepers,ย andย Mr. Mercedesย (an Edgar Award winnerย for Best Novel and a television series streaming on Peacock). His novelย 11/22/63ย was named aย top ten book of 2011 byย Theย New York Timesย Book Reviewย and won theย Los Angeles Timesย Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic worksย The Dark Tower,ย It,ย Pet Sematary,ย Doctor Sleep, andย Firestarterย are the basis forย major motion pictures, withย Itย now the highest-grossing horror film of all time. He is the recipientย of the 2020 Audio Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, theย 2014 National Medal of Arts, and theย 2003 National Book Foundation Medal forย Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.ย He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife,ย novelist Tabitha King.ย