Pulitzer Prizes 2009: Complete list of winners
The 2009 Pulitzer Prizes delivered a remarkable collection of winners that collectively turned a searching eye on American history and identity. From Elizabeth Strout’s quietly devastating novel Olive Kitteridge to Douglas A. Blackmon’s unflinching historical investigation Slavery by Another Name, this year’s honorees shared a common preoccupation: examining the complex, often troubling layers beneath the American narrative. The Pulitzer Prizes, which have recognized excellence in letters, drama, and journalism since 1917, seemed particularly attuned to works that challenged readers to reconsider what they thought they knew about the nation’s past and present.
Lynn Nottage’s play Ruined brought contemporary urgency to the awards ceremony, shining a spotlight on women’s experiences during conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo—a reminder that the 2009 Pulitzer Prize selections reached beyond purely American subjects. Meanwhile, the history and biography categories showcased a deep engagement with the Founding era and presidential legacy: Jon Meacham’s American Lion reimagined Andrew Jackson’s White House years, while Annette Gordon-Reed’s The Hemingses of Monticello traced an enslaved family’s extraordinary arc through Thomas Jefferson’s world. W.S. Merwin’s The Shadow of Sirius rounded out the distinguished roster, proving that poetry remained vital to the Pulitzer’s mission.
Below, you’ll find the complete list of 2009 Pulitzer Prize winners across the major categories, each representing the year’s finest achievements in American letters and drama.
Biography
American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House by Jon Meacham
Drama
- Ruined by Lynn Nottage
Fiction
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
General Nonfiction
Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II by Douglas A. Blackmon
History
The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed
Poetry
The Shadow of Sirius by W.S. Merwin