Indian-American Abraham Verghese selected for 2015 National Humanities Medal

Abraham Verghese, Indian-American physician-author, on 14 September 2016 was selected for the prestigious 2015 National Humanities Medal.

On the other hand, Mel Brooks, Morgan Freeman, Audra McDonald, Berry Gordy and Philip Glass are on the list for the National Medal of Arts, while Terry Gross and Wynton Marsalis are among the Humanities recipients.

President Barack Obama will award the medals on 22 September 2016 in a ceremony in the East Room of the White House.

About Abraham Verghese

• Abraham Verghese is a physician-author, Professor for the Theory and Practice of Medicine at Stanford University Medical School.

• He is also the author of three best-selling books, two memoirs and a novel.

• In 2011, he was elected to be a member of the Institute of Medicine.

• He was born in Ethiopia to parents from Kerala.

Full list of honourees:

National Medal of Arts

• Mel Brooks, Actor, Comedian and Writer
• Sandra Cisneros, Author
• Eugene O’Neill Theater Center
• Morgan Freeman, Actor
• Philip Glass, Composer
• Berry Gordy, Record Producer & Songwriter
• Santiago Jiménez, Jr., Musician
• Moises Kaufman, Director & Playwright
• Ralph Lemon, Dancer, Choreographer, Writer, & Visual Artist
• Audra McDonald, Actress & Singer
• Luis Valdez, Playwright, Actor, Writer & Director
• Jack Whitten, Painter

National Humanities Medal

• Rudolfo Anaya, Author
• José Andrés, Chef & Entrepreneur
• Ron Chernow, Author
• Louise Glück, Poet
• Terry Gross, Radio Host & Producer
• James McBride, Author
• Louis Menand, Author
• Elaine Pagels, Historian & Author
• Prison University Project, Higher Education Program
• Abraham Verghese, Physician, Professor & Author
• Isabel Wilkerson, Journalist & Author

About National Medal of Arts

• The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984.

• It was created for the purpose of honouring artists and patrons of the arts.

• It is the highest honour specifically given for achievement in the arts conferred to an individual artist on behalf of the people.

• Honourees are selected by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and ceremoniously presented the award by the President of the United States.

• The medal was designed for the NEA by sculptor Robert Graham.

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