The Harper Lee Award for Alabama's Distinguished Writer of the Year was established in 1998, to recognize the lifetime achievement of a writer who was born in Alabama or who spent his or her formative years living and writing in the state. The award is named for Harper Lee, whose novel To Kill a Mockingbird has sold more than 30 million copies. It is made possible through a generous grant from George F. Landegger, Chairman, Parsons & Whittemore. In 2020 the award will be presented at the Monroeville Literary Festival, a project of Coastal Alabama Community College and other organizations in Monroeville, AL, Ms. Lee’s hometown.
