George Saunders: Quick Facts

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Oct. 24, 2026

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American author George Saunders penned novels, short stories, essays, and children's books, and in 2006 he was the recipient of both a MacArthur Foundation "genius" grant and a Guggenheim Fellowship. His short-story collection "Tenth of December" (2013) was a finalist for the National Book Award, and his first novel, "Lincoln in the Bardo" (2017), won the Man Booker Prize.

Facts

Born	December 2, 1958 (age 67) • Amarillo • Texas
Awards And Honors	Booker Prize (2017) • American Academy of Arts and Letters (member; inducted 2018) • Arts and Letters Award (2009) • Guggenheim Fellowship (2006) • MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (2006) • Man Booker Prize (2017) • PEN/Malamud Award (2013)
Notable Works	“A Swim in a Pond in the Rain” • “CivilWarLand in Bad Decline” • “In Persuasion Nation” • “Liberation Day” • “Lincoln in the Bardo” • “Tenth of December” • “The Braindead Megaphone” • “The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil” • “The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip” • “Vigil”
Notable Family Members	married to Paula Redick (1987–present) • father of Caitlin Saunders • father of Alena Saunders
Education	Syracuse University (M.A., 1988) • Colorado School of Mines (B.S., 1981)
Taught At	Syracuse University
Published Works	"Fox 8" (2013) • "Lincoln in the Bardo" (2017) • "Tenth of December" (2013) • "The Braindead Megaphone" (2007) • "Pastoralia" (2000) • "The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil" (2005) • "In Persuasion Nation" (2006) • "Congratulations, By the Way" (2014) • "The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip" (2000) • "CivilWarLand in Bad Decline" (1996)

Did You Know?

Saunders met his wife while they were both enrolled in Syracuse University's M.F.A. program in creative writing, and the pair became engaged three weeks later.
While working in Sumatra as a field geophysicist, Saunders became ill after swimming in a river that had recently received "deposits" from over one hundred monkeys.
Saunders was employed at an engineering company when he wrote his first book, "CivilWarLand in Bad Decline" (1996).