Star Trek and Reading Rainbow star LeVar Burton named inaugural PEN/Faulkner Literary Champion

"LeVar Burton" by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

FEBRUARY 11, 2021 - Star Trek: The Next Generation’s LeVar Burton has been announced as the inaugural PEN/Faulkner Literary Champion, in concert with the 2021 PEN/Faulkner Awards 40th anniversary celebration. The new award will be given annually and is intended to, as they say, “recognize devoted literary advocacy and a commitment to inspiring new generations of readers and writers.”

It’s no secret that Burton loves to read. He hosted the long-running PBS series Reading Rainbow beginning in 1983 and has been a passionate advocate for literacy throughout his life and career. “I come from a family for whom service to others is the highest possible calling,” Burton said. “Whatever efforts I have made toward advancing the cause of literacy, give honor to my mother, Erma Gene Christian, my first teacher and from whom I have inherited my love for books and reading.”

The PEN/Faulkner Foundation Executive Director Gwydion Suilebhan offered praise for Burton’s lifelong efforts, saying, “For decades, LeVar Burton has inspired readers all over the world [...] He has brought stories to life in a magical and meaningful way for generations of book-lovers, and his work has made a lasting, positive impact in literature.”

Burton shared similar sentiments for the PEN/Faulkner Foundation, saying, “The work you do through the PEN/Faulkner Award, and your committed investment in DC schools, has never been more important. I couldn’t be more honored to be the inaugural PEN/Faulkner Literary Champion.”

The 40th annual PEN/Faulkner Awards will take place as a virtual ceremony on May 10, 2021. For more information, visit penfaulkner.org.