New York Public Library Honours Gao Xingjian

GAO XINGJIAN was conferred the LIONS AWARD by the New York Public Library (NYPL) at Library Lions Benefit event, held on 13 November 2006 in New York.

Gao, the first-ever Chinese to win the Nobel Prize for Literature for his widely-acclaimed novel Soul Mountain (2000), also became the first Chinese writer to win the Lions Award. Others on this year’s honour roll included Elie Wiesel, James D.Watson, Orhan Pamuk, and Oprah Winfrey.

Presided by Toni Morrison, Nobel Prize winning writer, Library Trustee and Master of Ceremonies for this annual black-tie event, the Library Lions Award seek to honour individuals chosen for their extraordinary contributions in literature, science, arts and philanthropy which have impacted the global community.

The New York Public Library was established in 1895 and with 86 other branches, holds the most comprehensive library collections in America, serving up to 30 million users world-wide. All proceeds of the annual Lions event will go to support the Library’s General Book Fund.

For more information, visit www.nypl.org.