Karen Tei Yamashita to receive honorary National Book Award in the US

This combination of photos shows cover art for "A Tropic Of Orange," from left, "I Hotel," and "Brazil-Maru," by author Karen Tei Yamashita. The National Book Foundation in the US recently announced that Yamashita has been awarded its medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. Photo: AP

Karen Tei Yamashita, this year's recipient of a National Book Award in the US for literary achievement, is in some ways a departure from previous winners.

The National Book Foundation announced recently that Yamashita has been awarded its medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, a prize with a $10,000 (RM41,000) cash award. Previous winners include Toni Morrison, Robert Caro and Walter Mosley.