Playwright and novelist Suzan-Lori Parks wins prestigious Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Playwright, novelist and songwriter Suzan-Lori Parks has won the prestigious Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize and its $300,000 prize, one of the largest cash awards in the arts.

Parks, the first African-American woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize in Drama, wrote the play “Topdog/Underdog,” adapted “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess,” and penned the screenplay for Spike Lee’s “Girl 6.”

The prize recognizes people who have “made an outstanding contribution to the beauty of the world and to mankind’s enjoyment and understanding of life.” Parks will receive the prize at a private event in New York City on Nov. 30.

The annual prize was established in 1994 by actress Lillian Gish’s will. Past recipients include Frank Gehry, Arthur Miller, Bob Dylan, Robert Redford, Maya Lin, Chinua Achebe and Bill T. Jones.