The first cadre of winners of the the Donald Windham-Sandy M. Campbell Literary Prizes will be announced March 4, 2013, at 10:00 am. Watch the live stream of the prize announcement by Yale President-elect Peter Salovey, or join us in person on the Beinecke Library mezzanine.

On March 4, the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library will inaugurate an extraordinary global literature prize. Founded with a gift from the late writer Donald Windham, the Windham Campbell Prizes will recognize outstanding achievement in English language fiction, nonfiction and drama. Honorees receive a citation and $150,000 to support their writing.

Donald Windham, who wrote novels, memoirs, plays, and a children’s book, directed that nearly his entire estate be used to fund a prize that would allow writers to work for a period of time, free from financial concerns. Each year, up to nine writers will be recognized.

The global focus is unique among literary prizes. Even in a culture of globalism, an English language writer famous in South Africa or India might have little or no audience in the U.S. or U.K., and vice versa. These prizes will introduce readers to authors from other cultures and authors to readers who might never have heard their names.

Visit windhamcampbell.org to learn about the selection process, the fall literary festival, and the lives of Donald Windham and Sandy Campbell. Follow the prizes on Facebook and Twitter.