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Journalism of Courage
James Patterson, the prolific novelist who has long been one of publishing’s most reliable best sellers, is now offering emerging authors what he believes they need most: time. Through a new initiative called Go Finish Your Book, Patterson has awarded $500,000 (₹4.1 crore) in grants to 12 writers, with individual awards of up to $50,000 (₹41 lakh). The funding is intended to help authors set aside daily obligations and concentrate on their manuscripts.
“There are so many incredible stories out there that never get written because life gets in the way,” Patterson said in a statement. “I wanted to give these writers a little time, a little space, and a push to say: your voice matters — now go finish your book.”
The recipients were selected from hundreds of submissions submitted through literary organisations including PEN America, the Authors Guild, the International Thriller Writers, Girls Write Now, MasterClass, and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, among others. The chosen projects span memoir, short stories, literary fiction, mystery and comics.
Among the writers awarded grants are Medar de la Cruz, Jungin Angie Lee, and T Kira Madden. Lee, who is completing a short story collection, told the Associated Press that the support came as “a much-needed burst of motivation and boost of confidence.”
Lan Samantha Chang, director of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, praised the effort. “This initiative provides the gift of time to new writers at a crucial moment in their development,” she told Publishers Weekly. “It is a tremendous boost of confidence to gain the support of a pathbreaking writer.”
Patterson, 78, is best known for creating enduring characters like Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, and Maximum Ride. He has co-authored chart-topping novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, and his autobiography, James Patterson by James Patterson, also reached No. 1. Over his career, he has sold more than 400 million books worldwide, making him one of the most popular storytellers of his time.
His philanthropic commitments are as wide-ranging as his bibliography. Patterson has donated more than $7.25 million (₹59 crore) to school and classroom libraries in the United States, $2.1 million (₹17 crore) to independent bookstores, and more than one million books to under-resourced schools and U.S. soldiers. Through the Patterson Family Foundation, he has contributed $35 million (₹284 crore) to higher education and funded over 400 scholarships for aspiring teachers and writers.
He has been recognized with the National Humanities Medal (2019), the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation (2015), and this year, the International Thriller Writers’ Silver Bullet Award. He has also won the Edgar Award and 10 Emmy Awards.
With Go Finish Your Book, Patterson is extending his giving directly to the writers themselves — investing not only in literacy and readership, but in the next generation of stories yet to be told.
