James Percival Everett
James Percival Everett is best known professionally as Percival Everett, an American novelist, short-story writer, poet, and professor of English at the University of Southern California.
James Percival Everett is the full name of the American author known as Percival Everett. He is a novelist, poet, and professor of English at the University of Southern California.
Who is James Percival Everett?
Born Percival Leonard Everett II on December 22, 1956, in Fort Gordon, Georgia, he is a Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Southern California. He publishes under the name Percival Everett and is known for a wide-ranging body of fiction and poetry, with more than 30 published works.
What are his major works?
His best-known novels include Erasure (2001), which inspired the film American Fiction; James (2024), a retelling of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Jim; and The Trees (2021), a Booker Prize shortlisted novel. His work often blends satire, formal experimentation, and themes of race and identity.
Why does he matter?
Everett's James won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, the National Book Award for Fiction, and the Kirkus Prize, cementing his reputation as a major American literary voice. His work is also influential in Canadian literary circles, where James was a Booker Prize finalist.
In short
- Percival Everett is an American author and professor at USC.
- His novel James won the Pulitzer Prize and other major awards.
- Erasure was adapted into the film American Fiction.
- He has written over 30 books across genres.
His novel James was a finalist for the Booker Prize, a major prize closely followed by Canadian readers, and his work is regularly discussed in English-language literary coverage in Canada.
Quick questions
Who is James Percival Everett?
What is Percival Everett's real name?
Books by Percival Everett?
Sources
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percival_EverettSupports: Full name, birth date, nationality, occupation, USC affiliation, and major works including Erasure, The Trees, and James.
- The Booker Prizes — https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/features/reading-guide-james-by-percival-everettSupports: James as a retelling of Huckleberry Finn, Everett’s USC role, and his broader recognition including Booker shortlistings.
- NPR — https://www.npr.org/2024/03/15/1238741304/percival-everett-gives-mark-twains-classic-story-about-huck-a-new-voice-in-jamesSupports: James as a retelling of Huck Finn from Jim's perspective.
- Goodreads — https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/31723.Percival_EverettSupports: Born name and year, American writer description, and author identity.
- Dissent — https://dissentmagazine.org/online_articles/integrity-and-defiance-in-equal-measure/Supports: Erasure as an important novel and its connection to American Fiction.