Alice Walker

For other people named Alice Walker, see Alice Walker (disambiguation).

Alice Walker
Walker in 2007
Walker in 2007
BornAlice Malsenior Walker
(1944-02-09) February 9, 1944 (age 80)
Eatonton, Georgia, U.S.
Occupation
  • Novelist
  • short story writer
  • poet
  • political activist
EducationSpelman College
Sarah Lawrence College (BA)
Period1968–present
GenreAfrican-American literature
Notable worksThe Color Purple
Notable awardsPulitzer Prize for Fiction (1983)
National Book Award (1983)
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1967; div. 1976)​
PartnerRobert L. Allen
Tracy Chapman
ChildrenRebecca Walker
Alice Walker's voice
from the BBC programme Desert Island Discs, May 19, 2013.[1]
Website
Official website

Alice Malsenior Tallulah-Kate Walker (born February 9, 1944)[2] is an American novelist, short story writer, poet, and social activist. In 1982, she became the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, which she was awarded for her novel The Color Purple.[3][4] Over the span of her career, Walker has published seventeen novels and short story collections, twelve non-fiction works, and collections of essays and poetry.

Walker, born in rural Georgia, overcame challenges such as childhood injury and segregation to become a valedictorian and eventually graduated from Sarah Lawrence College. She began her writing career with her first book of poetry, Once, and later wrote novels, including her best-known work, The Color Purple. As an activist, Walker participated in the Civil Rights Movement, advocated for women of color through the term "womanism," and has been involved in animal advocacy and pacifism. Additionally, she has taken a strong stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, supporting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions campaign against Israel.

Walker has faced multiple accusations of antisemitism due to her praise for British conspiracy theorist David Icke and his works, which contain antisemitic conspiracy theories, along with criticisms of her own writings.

  1. ^ "Alice Walker". Desert Island Discs. May 19, 2013. BBC Radio 4. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  2. ^ Rose, Mike (February 9, 2023). "Today's famous birthdays list for February 9, 2023 includes celebrities Michael B. Jordan, Tom Hiddleston". Cleveland.com. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  3. ^ "National Book Awards – 1983". National Book Foundation. Retrieved March 15, 2012. (With essays by Anna Clark and Tarayi Jones from the Awards 60-year anniversary blog.)
  4. ^ "The 1983 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Fiction". The Pulitzer Prizes. Retrieved March 25, 2019.