Michael Chabon and Neil Gaiman will receive two of Fall for the Book’s major festival awards at the 14th annual festival—taking place September 26-30 at George Mason University and in venues throughout Northern Virginia, DC, and Maryland.

Michael Chabon (photo: Jennifer Chaney)

Michael Chabon will receive this year’s Fairfax Prize, honoring outstanding literary achievement and presented by the Fairfax Library Foundation, and in doing so, joins a distinguished list of previous winners including Amy Tan, Ann Patchett, E.L. Doctorow, and Michael Cunningham. Chabon’s novels include The Mysteries of Pittsburgh; Wonder Boys (adapted into a critically acclaimed film with Michael Douglas); The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, a Pulitzer Prize winner, among other honors; and The Yiddish Policeman’s Union, winner of both the Hugo and the Nebula Awards. He’s also published two collections of short stories, an essay collection, and both a children’s book and a young adult novel. His next novel, Telegraph Avenue, will be published later this year. For more information, visit http://www.michaelchabon.com/.

Neil Gaiman (photo: Sophie Quach)

Neil Gaiman has been named the winner of the 2012 Mason Award, recognizing authors who have made extraordinary contributions to bringing literature to a wide reading public; previous recipients have included Stephen King, Sherman Alexie, and Chinua Achebe.  Gaiman is the author of several NYT Bestsellers including American Gods, winner of every major genre award and The Graveyard Book, the only title ever to win both the US and UK most prestigious awards given to Children’s Books, the Newbery and the Carnegie Medals.  Gaiman is the creator and writer of the DC Comics series Sandman (Vertigo), winner of 12 Eisner Comic Industry Awards and a World Fantasy Award for best short story—making it the first comic ever to receive a literary award. Additional works include the short story collection Fragiile Things and the novels Anansi Boys and Coraline, the latter the basis for the Oscar Nominated 2009 film. For more information, visit www.neilgaiman.com.

“Both of these writers have had extremely successful writing careers that have made them favorites among readers,” said William Miller, executive director of Fall for the Book. “In addition to their excellent novels, Chabon and Gaiman have written children’s and young adult books, and it is rare to have authors who have found success with both adult and young audiences. Both of them have also worked with comics and comic books, and as graphic novels continue to grow in popularity and maintain a place in the literary world, it is important to look at writers who are pushing the boundaries of traditional fiction.”

The recipient of Fall for the Book’s two other major honors, the Busboys and Poets Award and the Mary Roberts Rinehart Award will be announced later this spring.

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