Oprah Winfrey is PEN/Faulkner’s 2022 “Literary Champion.”

The all-time, all-universe grand champion of book clubs everywhere is being recognized for her work. Yes, Oprah Winfrey is the next recipient of the PEN/Faulkner Literary Champion award which “recognizes a lifetime of devoted literary advocacy and a commitment to inspiring new generations of readers and writers.”

Whatever your opinion on l’affaires Franzen and Frey*, it’s impossible to deny that Oprah has had an enormous role in the mainstream celebration of literature, consistently putting interesting books in front of millions upon millions of potential readers. Sadly, this year’s ceremony will be virtual, so you won’t be finding anything under your chair unless you put it there yourself.

*Happy to report I briefly forgot his name and had to google “Oprah memoir made-up.”