American · b. 1958
George Saunders won the 2017 Booker Prize for "Lincoln in the Bardo," a novel composed entirely of voices from the dead crowding a Georgetown cemetery where Abraham Lincoln mourns his son. The American author spent decades perfecting the short story before attempting a novel, producing collections like "Tenth of December" that mixed satire with compassion. Saunders teaches in Syracuse's MFA program, where his approach—emphasizing revision and the reader's experience—has shaped a generation of writers.