Yiyun Li, a Chinese-born novelist and professor at Princeton University, has won the Pulitzer Prize in the Books, Drama & Music category. The award, announced on 5/5, recognizes her memoir, "Things in Nature Merely Grow." The book, released in 5/2025, delves into Li's profound thoughts as a mother grappling with the loss of her two sons to suicide. Her youngest son, James, passed away in 2024, nearly seven years after his older brother, Vincent, died by suicide in 2017.

The Pulitzer jury praised the work as a moving narrative, describing it as "a stark yet resilient memoir of acceptance, where the author focuses on truths, language, and life's endurance."

Portrait of novelist Yiyun Li, 54. *Photo: Agence Opale*

According to Princeton University's media office, Li received the news from her editor around 3:45 PM on the day of the announcement while in Princeton, New Jersey. "I was deeply moved and surprised," she stated. Li described the award as "bittersweet," given that the work emerged from a difficult period in her life.

In an interview with the Guardian in 5/2025, Li revealed she began writing the memoir months after James's death. She initially worried about finding the words to articulate her experience, but once she started, she realized her capacity and completed the book in two months. A news report noted that while her memoir avoids sentimentality, its emotional power deeply affects readers. Li explained that writing the book did not alleviate her mood but offered solace in her perspective. "When I write, I feel like I'm standing in the eye of a storm. The eye of the storm is the calmest place. Quiet and clear," she said.

Memoir "Things in Nature Merely Grow". *Photo: Farrar, Straus and Giroux*

Born in Beijing in 1972, Yiyun Li initially pursued a career in natural sciences. She earned a bachelor's degree in cell biology from Peking University before moving to the United States to study immunology at the University of Iowa. Her career trajectory shifted when she enrolled in a writing class, ultimately earning two master's degrees in fiction and non-fiction writing. In 2005, she debuted with the short story collection "A Thousand Years of Good Prayers," which garnered significant acclaim in American literary circles. Four years later, she published her first novel, "The Vagrants." Several of her books have been translated into Vietnamese, including: "Ngan nam thien nguyen" and "Nhung ke lang thang" (published by NXB Phu Nu), and "Chon co doc cua linh hon" (published by NXB Hoi Nha van and Tao Dan Books).

To date, Yiyun Li has published dozens of books and received many prestigious literary accolades, including the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award, the PEN/Hemingway Award, the Guardian First Book Award, and the California Book Award. In April, TIME magazine recognized her as one of the top 100 most influential people in the world.

The Pulitzer Prize is an annual award, first presented in 1917, named after its founder, journalist Joseph Pulitzer. The Pulitzer system is considered one of the most prestigious events for journalism and the fields of Books, Drama & Music, encompassing 23 categories.

Trinh Lam (based on The Pulitzer Prizes, Guardian)