# national biography award lecture series
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If so, care to share some favourites?
Previous supporting genre posts: 1. Traditionally, biography has been seen as a detailed description of a person’s life written by a third person. It “celebrates excellence in biography, autobiography and memoir writing” says the Award website. All of these come under the banner of “life-writing”.
His return to UMW followed more than 20 years of work with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation; Preservation Virginia; the Manassas Museum System; and the Virginia Museum of the Civil War at New Market Battlefield State Historical Park. Her connection with Australia is therefore tenuous, but she was a wonderful character who moved among the biggest literary movers and shakers of her time.
Typically, they include question-and-answer sessions and book-signings.
History
Since 2004, the University of Mary Washington has offered during each spring semester a public lecture series titled “Great Lives: Biographical Approaches to History and Culture.” The series began as an academic course offered by the Department of History and American Studies but, drawing on a model employed periodically by the Department since the mid-1970s, and consistent with the University’s commitment to public service, certain lectures were opened to the public free of charge.
National Biography Award
It was originally endowed by private benefactor, Dr. Geoffrey Cains, and the original prize money was $12,500. In 2002, Cains said of endowing the award that "I wanted to give back to literature something, it had given me so much; besides, philanthropy in this country is so overlooked and diminished". Harris is an editorial advisor to White House History Quarterly; the journal of theWhite House Historical Association.
Since the inception of the program, nearly 400 figures have been covered in public lectures.
It is given annually, but is not given at the same time as the announcement of the winner.
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Recently Popular Whisperings
Time for another in my little Monday Musings sub-series on “supporting” genres.
She mentions works I read before blogging, like Inga Clendinnen’s Tiger’s eye, Helen Garner’s Joe Cinque’s consolation, and, even, Robert Dessaix’s “autobiographical novel” Night letters!
Well, I’ve noticed another strange coincidence: the recent publication of Jennifer Walker’s Elizabeth of the German Garden: A biography of Elizabeth Von Arnim (2017), Gabrielle Carey’s Only happiness here: In search of Elizabeth von Arnim (2020) and Joyce Morgan’s The Countess from Kirribilli: The mysterious and free-spirited literary sensation who beguiled the world (2021).
Those individuals have been chosen to provide diversity, not just in terms of race and gender, but also in chronology and, especially, in fields of accomplishment. You will also find courses on life-writing. A recent exception was Behrouz Boochani’s No friend but the mountains.
Life-writing now
Life-writing is big business.
Belinda Hutchinson, former President of the Library Council of NSW, expressed gratitude for this increase to "an award that celebrates the Australian psyche through distinguished biography writing." In 2012 the prize money for the Award has been increased to $25,000. In addition to various offices within the American Alliance of Museums and Virginia Association of Museums.
(Not that I disagree.)
Do you read biography?