On October 16, the National Book Foundation crowned the winners for the 67th Annual National Book Awards — including, for the first time since 1957, a sitting member of Congress.

Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell received the National Book Award in the Young People’s Literature category, for the concluding volume of their bestselling graphic novel trilogy March. The autobiographical series, which depicts Lewis’s firsthand account of the Civil Rights Movement, has previously won such honors as the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award, the Eisner Award, two Harvey Awards, and a Coretta Scott King Author Honor. It is rapidly being adopted by universities and public school systems from New York to San Francisco, and recently spent six continuous weeks holding the top 3 spots on the New York Times Bestseller List.

Lewis gave a moving acceptance speech stating: “This is unreal. This is unbelievable. Some of you know I grew up in rural Alabama — very, very poor with very few books in our home.” Lewis held back tears as he shared with us his experiences walking into libraries with his sibilings to get library cards, and being refused because libraries were for whites only. Before thanking the his co-editor, artist, and the judges, he left us with the inspiration he recevied from a teacher he had growing up: “read my child, read. And I tried to read everything.”

Few graphic novels have previously reached NBA Finalist status, including such acclaimed works as American Born Chinese and Boxers & Saints by Gene Luen Yang, Stitches by David Small, and Nimona by Noelle Stevenson. Other notable finalists include The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Profiles in Courage by Senator John F. Kennedy, who is himself a character in March.

For more details, visit http://www.nationalbook.org.