HOWELLS MEDAL  FOR  AMERICAN FICTION 1925-2000 William Dean Howells (1837-1920)

The Howells Medal honors William Dean Howells (1837-1920), the editor and novelist whose industry and influence made him the leading American man of letters of his age. The Award is conferred by the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters and is given every five years to an outstanding work of American fiction. While the Award has usually specified a specific work by a novelist, some awards have been made to novelists for their general body of work.