‘James’ wins the Pulitzer Prize for fiction

Percival Everett’s novel was honored at the 2025 awards, along with other books in the categories of fiction, general nonfiction, memoir, poetry, history and biography.

By Sophia Nguyen

Percival Everett has won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for fiction for his 24th novel, “James.”

The finalists in fiction were “Headshot” by Rita Bullwinkel, “Mice 1961” by Stacey Levine and “The Unicorn Woman” by Gayl Jones.

Published in March 2024 to wide critical acclaim, “James” appeared on virtually every “best of” list that year. It was a finalist for the 2024 Booker Prize and the 2025 PEN/Faulkner Award for fiction, and also won the 2024 National Book Award for fiction. In his acceptance speech for that award last November, Everett jokingly thanked the judges “for putting their reputations on the line here.” He had previously told the New Yorker that he believed awards were “offensive,” calling them “invidious comparisons of works of art.”

Through his publisher Doubleday, Everett said, “I am shocked and pleased, but mostly shocked. This is a wonderful honor. I am especially flattered to have been considered along with the other finalists.” Read the full story at the Washington Post.