William Styron (1925–2006) was the author of several bestselling and award-winning books, including Lie Down in Darkness, which won the 1951 Prix de Rome of the American Academy of Arts and Letters; The Confessions of Nat Turner, which won the 1968 Pulitzer Prize; and Sophie’s Choice, which won the 1980 National Book Award. His other awards include the Howells Medal, the American Book Award, the Légion d’Honneur, and the Witness to Justice Award from the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation. Also noted for his nonfiction, his 1990 memoir, Darkness Visible, was a major contribution to public understanding of depression. He was a graduate of Duke University and a veteran of the US Marine Corps.
