Today is the official celebration of the publication of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. It is her only major work.
In 1999 To Kill a Mockingbird was chosen as the best novel of the century. Translated into 50 languages,in 1962 it was made into an Oscar winning movie starring Gregory Peck. Since it’s first publication, the book has never been out of print.
I first saw the movie on television one evening while babysitting in 1967. My aunt and uncle returned home shortly after the movie began. We sat in stunned silence watching the movie, which was quite shocking for the time. That movie was my first introduction to racial hate, and that the rest of the world did not judge people by their deeds but rather by the colour of their skin. The next day I borrowed the novel from the library. It remains my favourite novel of all time.
For her outstanding contribution to literature, Harper Lee was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007, America’s highest civilian honour.