In 2003, the board of directors of Fall for the Book established the Fairfax Prize to honor outstanding writers for their literary achievements. Recipients of the award are noted for achievements in the following criteria:
- Writing and publishing excellent works that contribute significantly to American or international culture
- Generously giving personal time and talents to the development of literature and literary endeavors
- Mentoring younger writers, which includes but is not limited to teaching
- Giving special service to the community of writers, such as editing anthologies or journals that give opportunities for publication to other writers.
The recipient is honored at a special reading and reception during the festival, at which time he or she is given a monetary prize and the Fairfax Prize statue.
The winner of the first Fairfax Prize, in 2003, was
Tobias Wolff. Subsequent winners have included
Joyce Carol Oates,
Mitch Albom,
Michael Cunningham, and
E.L. Doctorow. In 2007, the Fairfax Library Foundation began sponsoring the Fairfax Prize, contributing the prize amount and helping to select the recipient.
The recipient of the 2010 Fairfax Prize will be named on May 1.
