When Cassandra King, an award‑winning author was named the 2025 recipient of the Harper Lee Award for Alabama’s Distinguished Writer, the literary world took a collective breath. The honor will be handed over at the Old Courthouse Museum in Monroeville, Alabama on Friday, February 28, 2025, during the Monroeville Literary FestivalMonroeville, Alabama. The festival runs from February 27 through March 1, weaving together authors, scholars, and fans of Southern letters.
Why the Harper Lee Award matters
Funded by Harper Lee LLC, the award is one of the South’s most prestigious literary distinctions. It celebrates a writer who was either born in Alabama or whose career blossomed there. Past laureates read like a who’s‑who of Southern storytelling: biologist‑turned‑writer E. O. Wilson, the “Forrest Gump” creator Winston Groom, journalist‑author Rick Bragg, and humorist Fannie Flagg. King joins a lineage that defines what Southern literature means in the 21st century.
King’s literary journey
Born in Alabama, King grew up in the rural hinterlands that inspired the world of To Kill a Mockingbird>. She later settled in Beaufort, South Carolina, where she now writes from a historic home overlooking the Atlantic.
Her bibliography spans two non‑fiction works and five novels, plus a torrent of short stories and magazine pieces. The Sunday Wife earned a Book Sense Pick and a "Page Turner" nod from People Magazine. The Same Sweet Girls shot to No. 1 on the national Book Sense list, while Queen of Broken Hearts landed in the Book of the Month Club and Literary Guild catalogs. Most recently, her memoir Tell Me a Story: My Life with Pat Conroy was crowned Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) non‑fiction Book of the Year.
Her partnership with the late Pat Conroy—author of classics like The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini—deepened her ties to Southern storytelling. King met Conroy at the 1995 Southern Voices conference in Hoover, Alabama, and married him in 1998. After the wedding she left her teaching posts at Jefferson State Community College, Gadsden State Community College, and the University of Montevallo to devote herself fully to writing.
The ceremony and its setting
The Old Courthouse Museum, a restored 19th‑century building, serves as the symbolic heart of the festival. The venue is managed by the Monroe County Museum, which also administers the award. The ceremony will be modest but heartfelt, with King expected to read a passage from her memoir that references the timeless impact of Harper Lee’s novel.
King’s heartfelt tribute to Harper Lee
In a statement released to the press, King said, “One of my most treasured possessions, literally under lock and key in my desk, is my signed copy of *To Kill a Mockingbird*.” She went on, “Growing up in rural Alabama when that book hit the shelves, I didn’t just love it—I revere it. Harper Lee told the story of Scout Finch, and in doing so, she told my story, and the stories of countless kids who came of age during that era.”
She added, “Harper Lee, few writers have touched and influenced as many lives as you have. Please allow this Alabama girl to finally say thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Your writing not only touched and influenced me, you changed my vision of the world.”
Other honors at the festival
The Monroeville Literary Festival also hands out the Alabama Truman Capote Prize for Distinguished Work in the Short Story or Literary Non‑Fiction. This year’s winner is Suzanne Hudson, a Fairhope‑area writer whose short‑story collection All the Way to Memphis earned critical acclaim. Hudson’s latest project, In Light of All Darkness, Inside the Polly Klaas Kidnapping and the Search for America’s Child, merges true‑crime investigation with literary flair, drawing parallels to landmark FBI cases.
Key facts
- Award: Harper Lee Award for Alabama’s Distinguished Writer
- Recipient: Cassandra King
- Presentation: Old Courthouse Museum, Monroeville, AL
- Date: Friday, February 28, 2025 (festival runs Feb 27‑Mar 1)
- Funded by: Harper Lee LLC; administered by Monroe County Museum
What’s next for King?
Beyond the accolade, King remains active in the literary community through the Pat Conroy Literary Center in Beaufort. The center will host a launch for Nancy Thode’s biography Ahead of Her Time on May 17, 2025, featuring a conversation with executive director Jonathan Haupt and youth artivist Millie Bennett. The event will also spotlight the new Ann Head Literary Prize winner, underscoring King’s ongoing role in championing Southern voices.
Why this matters to readers
King’s win spotlights a generation of writers who grew up with the civil‑rights era’s literary awakening. Her reverence for Harper Lee bridges past and present, reminding us that stories rooted in place can resonate nationally. For aspiring authors in Alabama and beyond, the award signals that regional authenticity still commands national attention.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where will the Harper Lee Award be presented?
The award ceremony takes place on Friday, February 28, 2025, at the Old Courthouse Museum in Monroeville, Alabama, as part of the Monroeville Literary Festival.
Why is Cassandra King considered a significant figure in Southern literature?
King’s body of work—spanning novels, memoir, and short stories—captures the complexities of rural Alabama life. Her memoir about life with Pat Conroy won the SIBA non‑fiction Book of the Year, and several of her novels have earned national bestseller status, marking her as a leading contemporary voice.
What other awards are being presented at the festival?
The festival also awards the Alabama Truman Capote Prize for Distinguished Work in the Short Story or Literary Non‑Fiction. This year’s recipient is author Suzanne Hudson for her collection All the Way to Memphis and her true‑crime manuscript.
How does the Harper Lee Award reflect Alabama’s literary heritage?
Since its inception, the award has honored writers whose careers are tied to Alabama, from E. O. Wilson to Fannie Flagg. By recognizing King, the committee highlights how contemporary authors continue the state’s tradition of storytelling that grapples with history, identity, and place.
What role does the Pat Conroy Literary Center play in King’s career?
The center, based in Beaufort, South Carolina, promotes King’s work through events, workshops, and community outreach. It also hosts the upcoming launch of Nancy Thode’s biography, linking King’s legacy to broader efforts to celebrate Southern writers.
- Oct, 20 2025
- Kieran Lockhart
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