The Mason Award was established by the board of directors of Fall for the Book to recognize authors who have made extraordinary contributions to bringing literature to a wide reading public.
The award is named for George Mason, one of the founding fathers of the U.S., from whom the university also takes its name. The author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, Mason is known as the "Father of the Bill of Rights" and served as an early proponent of freedom of speech. The Mason Award serves as a reminder of Mason’s ideals and efforts and celebrates the freedom of speech he helped secure.
The award is presented after a reading by the recipient as a highlight of the annual Fall for the Book Festival. The recipient receives a monetary award as well as the Mason Award plaque.
The inaugural Mason Award-winner was Dave Eggers in 2006. On the closing night of the 2007 festival, recipient Jonathan Lethem debuted a new story, "The King of Sentences," which he had just completed that afternoon and which was published by The New Yorker and chosen for the Best American Short Stories anthology. The 2008 Mason Award was to Nigerian novelist, poet and critic Chinua Achebe to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his phenomenally successful book, Things Fall Apart. The 2009 award honored novelist, poet and filmmaker Sherman Alexie, whose works explore the American Indian experience.
The winner of the 2010 Mason Award will be announced on May 1.