Korean American author Ilyon Woo won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for biography for her book “Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom.”
Key points:
- Columbia University announced the winners of this year’s Pulitzers on May 6.
- Woo’s “Master Slave Husband Wife” tells the real story of a couple’s brave escape from slavery.
- She first came upon the story while at Columbia University, where she finished her PhD in English.
About the author:
- Woo is a popular author for both the “Master Slave Husband Wife” and her previous book, 2010’s “The Great Divorce: A Nineteenth-Century Mother’s Extraordinary Fight Against Her Husband, the Shakers, and Her Times.”
- “The Great Divorce” explores the early 19th century struggle of a New York woman fighting for the custody of her children.
The details:
- “Master Slave Husband Wife” recounts the real story of Ellen and William Craft, an enslaved couple who escaped slavery in 1848 using disguises. This involved Ellen posing as a wealthy white man with William disguised as her enslaved person.
- Woo revealed to International Examiner hat her late mentor, Robert Ferguson, inspired her fascination with U.S. history.
- Woo shared that the book’s research unearthed many significant discoveries across various sources, noting that she’s “still making discoveries” even after the book’s completion.
- While on her book tour, Woo connected with descendants of the Crafts who are planning a family foundation.
About the prize:
- The Pulitzer Prizes are prestigious awards honoring excellence in journalism, literature and the arts, as decided by the Pulitzer Prize Board.
- Recent winners include Filipino journalist Maria Ressa, who shared the 2021 Peace Price, and Japanese scientist Syukuro Manabe, who was awarded the 2021 Prize in Physics.
What’s next:
- Woo shared that she is committed to sharing the Crafts’ story through various mediums, including a potential digital project.
