Acclaimed author Barbara Kingsolver has been named the recipient of San Jose State University’s 2026 “In the Souls of the People” John Steinbeck Award, which will be presented at the Hammer Theatre Thursday evening, Oct. 22.
San Jose State University gives out the award each year to 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 our society,” according to the event website.
The nearly sold-out event will feature a reading from Kingsolver’s most recent novel, “Partita,” inspired by her lifelong love of classical piano, and a selection of pieces from the book will be performed live onstage by Crystal Liong, a San Jose State University student pianist, followed by an awards ceremony.
Kingsolver is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, essayist and poet who grew up in rural Kentucky and whose work often covers topics like social justice and biodiversity. She is also the first person to win the Women’s Prize for Fiction twice, and has also been recognized with the National Humanities Medal and the National Book Foundation’s 2024 Medal for Distinguished Contributions to American Letters.
The award, which first began in 1996, includes among its recipients Jane Fonda, Jacqueline Woodson, José Andrés, Bruce Springsteen, Joan Baez, Dolores Huerta, Ken Burns, Ruby Bridges and other contemporary luminaries.
Details: 7-8:30 p.m. Oct. 22, Hammer Theatre, 101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose; hammertheatre.com.