“John Lewis: A Life,” the definitive biography of John Robert Lewis, the late civil rights leader and United States Representative for Georgia's 5th Congressional District, written by SC&I Professor of Journalism and of History David Greenberg, has been named a finalist for the 2025 Pulitzer Prize in Biography.

“David Greenberg’s biography of John Lewis is a masterpiece that has already received much attention and praise,” said SC&I Interim Dean and Distinguished Professor of Journalism and Media Studies Dafna Lemish. “It reminds us of the role of excellent scholarship to not only document and analyze the past but also to inspire us for a better future. We are delighted and honored by David’s accomplishment!

Chair of the Journalism and Media Studies Department and Professor Lauren Feldman said,“’John Lewis: A Life’ is an extraordinary biography and a testament to David's talent and insight as a political historian and former journalist. The Journalism and Media Studies department is incredibly proud of David for being named a Pulitzer Prize finalist, and we congratulate him on this very well-deserved honor.” 

The highly prestigious Pulitzer Prize, one of the top literary prizes in the United States, is, according to the Pulitzer Prize website, “designed to celebrate excellence in journalism, arts, and letters.”

“Monday was such an exciting day,” Greenberg said. “I had to resist checking my phone for news while I was lecturing to my undergraduates at the time of Pulitzer announcement. It would have been a dream to win, but seeing John Lewis chosen as one of three finalists out of all the biographies published in 2024 is a tremendous honor.

“It was a privilege to be able to tell the life of this remarkable man, from whom people are still drawing hope, courage, and inspiration.”

Annually, more than 2,500 entries are submitted for 23 Pulitzer Prize categories, and of those, 1,400 are book entries, according to Pulitzer Prize website, which also notes, “Book submissions are reviewed by six book juries (comprised of five judges per panel) . . . only distinguished and appropriately documented biographies by American authors are considered for awards . . . and both the jury nominations and the awards voted by the Board are held in strict confidence until the announcement of the prizes.” In each category, the winner and the other two finalists are announced simultaneously. Columbia University revealed the winners and finalists, awarded on the recommendation of the Pulitzer Prize Board, at 3 p.m. EDT on Monday, May 5, 2025.

“John Lewis: A Life,” published by Simon and Schuster, was named a “Top 100 Books of 2024” by the New York Times Book Review. It has also been longlisted for the National Book Critics Circle award in biography, the Plutarch Prize from the Biographers International Organization, and the Edwards Book Award from the Rodel Institute. The winners of the latter two prizes have yet to be announced.

Greenberg’s biography, according to Amazon, “captures John Lewis’s influential career through documents from numerous archives, interviews with 275 people who knew him, and rare footage of Lewis speaking from his hospital bed after Selma. John Lewis offers unparalleled details about his personal and professional relationships and stands as the definitive biography of a man whose heroism during the civil rights movement paved the way for a new era of freedom in America.”

Learn more about the Journalism and Media Studies Department on the Rutgers School of Communication and Information website.