Dolly Parton - 2025
For 2025, we are proud to offer a special acknowledgment of Dolly Parton as the recipient of the 2025 Fitzgerald Prize for Literary Excellence.
As our previous prize winner, Rick Bragg, has observed, “Her story has been told so many times you would think we could just settle on one, the best, and not fool with it anymore." Yet, the rich tapestry inherent to Dolly’s career coat of many colors demands and deserves a closer look. Parton’s work on the hit film 9 to 5, the subsequent Broadway musical, and the development of Dolly: An Original Musical, reflects a creative spirit that resonates deeply with F. Scott Fitzgerald’s own creative journey. These compositions are a testament to her narrative gifts, echoing Scott’s early passion for musical theatre during his time writing for the famed musical comedy theatre troupe, The Princeton Triangle Club and his later endeavors in Hollywood screenwriting - exemplifying a deeply intertwined connection between musicality, theatrical storytelling, and literary merit.
Beyond her acclaimed stage and film compositions, the prize celebrates Parton’s extraordinary commitment to literacy through the Imagination Library. This groundbreaking initiative, which gifts free, high-quality books to millions of children from birth to age five worldwide, embodies her profound belief in the transformative power of reading. By honoring Dolly Parton’s influential work in music, film, theatre, and accessible literature, we celebrate a writer whose words, notes, and generosity continue to shape American culture and inspire dreams.
