John Grisham Wins Galaxy Award

Posted on March 29, 2007

John Grisham won the lifetime achievement award at the Galaxy British Book Awards. Grisham said he was honored to receive the award. He says he doesn't pick up many awards as a writer of popular fiction.

The 52-year-old, whose novels include The Firm, A Time To Kill and The Pelican Brief, said: 'I am very honoured to receive this award. As a writer of popular fiction I do not pick up many awards.' Grisham gave up a promising legal career in America's Deep South to take up writing and went on to become the bestselling novelist of the 1990s.

Along with Tom Clancy, he is one of only two authors to sell 2 million copies on a first printing. Grisham's 1992 novel The Pelican Brief sold 11 million copies in the US alone.

Paying tribute to the multimillionaire author, Hollywood director Francis Ford Coppola called him a 'natural born storyteller'.

This is the 18th year that the Galaxy awards have been handed out. The awards first debuted in 1990. Guest presenters included Cherie Blair and Kyle MacLachlan. The awards are referred to in England as the Nibbies or British Book Awards. The official site can be found on bookseller.com.

Note: The British Book Awards now calls the Lifetime Achievement Award the Outstanding Achievement Award.