Writer Barbara Kingsolver to Receive the 2026 In the Souls of the People John Steinbeck Award on October 22

On October 22, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Barbara Kingsolver will take the stage at San José State's Hammer Theatre to read from her latest book, "Partita," and to receive the 2026 "In the Souls of the People" John Steinbeck Award. Because "Partita" is inspired by the novelist's lifelong love of piano, Spartan musician Crystal Liong, '27 Music/Performance, will perform a selection of pieces featured in the book live onstage.

Given annually by San José State's Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies , the award recognizes writers, thinkers, artists and activists whose work captures Steinbeck's empathy, commitment to democratic values and belief in the dignity of people at the fringes of society.

Kingsolver is the author of ten bestselling works of fiction, including "Unsheltered," "The Bean Trees," and "The Poisonwood Bible," as well as books of poetry, essays, creative nonfiction and "Coyote's Wild Home," a children's book co-authored with Lily Kingsolver. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Kingsolver received the National Humanities Medal in 2000, the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her novel "Demon Copperhead," and the 2024 National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.

In a 2022 interview with The Guardian , Kingsolver named Steinbeck as one of her major literary influences, citing "Cannery Row" as an influential book.

"I'd written privately since childhood, but never imagined writing for anyone else, because I didn't know anything important," she says. "Then in my mid-20s I read a funny, beautiful novel about an odd little scramble of not-important people. I thought: 'I could try to write a book like that,' and I did. It was 'The Bean Trees.'"

Liong will be performing the third movement of Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 11, K. 331, "Rondo Alla Turca," and Chopin's Prelude in B minor. Though she's new to Kingsolver's work, Liong is excited to share the stage with the award-winning novelist.

"I think this collaboration will be a meaningful and unique experience, as creative mediums like writing and music are often viewed separately, even though they have the ability to complement each other very well," says Liong. "I will be interested to see how the music will bring out the character and overall atmosphere of the novel, and how bringing these two art forms together will create a more engaging experience."

Nick Taylor, director of the Center for Steinbeck Studies and SJSU English professor, will be presenting Kingsolver with the award.

"We've had lots of honorees whose lives and work resemble Steinbeck's only in spirit," says Taylor. "But Barbara Kingsolver comes as close as possible to following Steinbeck's example exactly. Over her 40-year career in literature, she has given us novels, poetry, essays and children's books that call our attention to people and situations that don't get much attention in our media and entertainment."

Taylor adds that her work "highlights the lives and struggles of folks in rural communities, most often in her native Appalachia, but also in the American Southwest and even in the Congo." In 2000, Kingsolver launched and funded a biennial Bellwether fiction prize, now called the PEN Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction , to promote fiction that addresses issues of social justice and the impact of culture and politics on human relationships.

All tickets (except discounted SJSU student tickets) will include a copy of "Partita," available for pick-up at the event. Proceeds from the event benefit Steinbeck in the Schools , a program offering free curriculum for K-12 students and teachers. This event is made possible thanks to the support of the Lewandowski Family Foundation, and the College of Humanities and the Arts' Artist Excellence Programming Grant .

Purchase your tickets here.