Calendar of Literary Facts
2002
- Richard Russo receives the Pulitzer Prize in fiction for Empire Falls
- Yann Martel receives the Man Booker Prize for Life of Pi
- Donald E. Westlake publishes Put a Lid on It
- Suzan-Lori Parks receives the Pulitzer Prize in drama for Topdog/Underdog
- Carl Dennis receives the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for Practical Gods
- Claude Brown dies (February 2)
- Imre Kertész receives the Nobel Prize for Literature (October 10)
- Dee Brown dies (December 12)
- Damon Knight dies (April 15)
- Cyrus Colter dies (April 15)
- Camilo José Cela dies (January 17)
- Thor Heyerdahl dies (April 18)
- Virginia Hamilton dies (February 19)
- Chaim Potok dies (July 23)
- Mildred Augustine Wirt Benson, creator of the Nancy Drew mysteries, dies (May 28)