Isabel Allende has been awarded the Bodley Medal, given annually by Oxford University’s Bodleian Library to “individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the worlds of books and literature, libraries, media and communications, science and philanthropy.”
Allende is one of two recipients of this year’s medals, alongside photojournalist Don McCullin.
Allende, who writes in both Spanish and English, made her literary debut with The House of the Spirits, now considered one of the most important magical realist novels of the 20th century. The book was published in 1982 in Spain and in 1985 in the U.S., translated by Magda Bogin. She went on to publish numerous other novels, including The Infinite Plan, translated by Margaret Sayers Peden, Island Beneath the Sea, and The Japanese Lover, translated by Nick Caistor and Amanda Hopkinson.
She previously won the National Book Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters and was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama.
Bodley’s Librarian Richard Ovenden said in a statement, “The Bodleian is delighted to honour Isabel Allende with the Bodley Medal. As one of the world’s greatest writers, and as such a powerful advocate for the rights of women, her contribution to the world of letters and to society as a whole has been truly outstanding.”
The Bodley Medal dates back to 1646, when it was struck in honor of Thomas Bodley, the Bodleian Library founder. It was revived in 2002; past winners include Hilary Mantel, Ian McEwan, Kazuo Ishiguro, and Zadie Smith.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
