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Burton Watson

Burton Watson (1925–2017) taught Chinese and Japanese literature at Columbia, Stanford, and Kyoto universities. He translated many books from Chinese and Japanese, and was one of the most well-known and respected translators in his field.

He received the Gold Medal Award of the Translation Center at Columbia University in 1979, the PEN Translation Prize in both 1982 and 1995. In 2015, he received the prestigious PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation. He died in 2017 in Chiba Prefecture, Japan.
Four Huts

Books

Four Huts

Three Penguin Random House Authors Win Pulitzer Prizes

On Monday, May 5, three Penguin Random House authors were honored with a Pulitzer Prize. Established in 1917, the Pulitzer Prizes are the most prestigious awards in American letters. To date, PRH has 143 Pulitzer Prize winners, including William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Josh Steinbeck, Ron Chernow, Anne Applebaum, Colson Whitehead, and many more. Take a look at our 2025 Pulitzer Prize

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Books for LGBTQIA+ Pride Month

In June we celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual + (LGBTQIA+) Pride Month, which honors the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan. Pride Month is a time to both celebrate the accomplishments of those in the LGBTQ+ community and recognize the ongoing struggles faced by many across the world who wish to live

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