Harper Lee's Life Accomplishments
To Kill a Mockingbird
v Christmas, 1956 a good friend gave her a present of a year’s
wages with a note that said, “You have one year off from your
job to write whatever you please. Merry Christmas.”
v She had the first draft of the book written within that year. It
was published July 11, 1960 and became an immediate
bestseller.
v It was named the best novel of the century in 1999 in a poll by
Library Journal (a publication of the American Library
Association).
v It is consistently on numerous lists in the top 50 books of all
time.
Awards
v In 1961, To Kill a Mockingbird won the Pulitzer Prize.
v President Johnson named Harper Lee to the National Council on the Arts.
v President George W. Bush awarded Harper Lee the Presidential Medal of Freedom – “an
especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United
States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”