Winner of the 2015 NC Award for Literature from the State of North Carolina, Anthony S. Abbott is the author of seven books of poetry, two novels, and four books of literary criticism.
His newest book, The Angel Dialogues, is the recipient of honorable mention in the 2015 Brockman-Campbell competition of the NC Poetry Society. His 2011 book of poems, If Words Could Save Us, was co-winner in the same competition in 2012.
He served as the Charles A. Dana Professor of English Emeritus at Davidson College in North Carolina.
January 7, 1935 – October 3, 2020
2020 Inductee to the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame
The North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame celebrates and promotes the state’s rich literary heritage by commemorating its leading authors and encouraging the continued flourishing of great literature. Inductions are held every other year. Learn more about the class of 2020 here.
A list of inductees, as well as samples of their work and video clips of past inductions, can be found online at nclhof.org.
2015 NC Award Winner for Literature, Anthony S. Abbott
The North Carolina Award, established by the general assembly in 1961, is the highest civilian honor given by the state. Presented annually since 1964, the award recognizes significant contributions to the state and nation in the fields of fine art, literature, public service and science.
Latest Book: The Angel Dialogues
More than a collection of poems, it is a narrative, a story that takes place over a year, in which a poet, who has prayed for a muse, receives instead an angel who teaches him much about what it means to be a human being, and leaves him, at the end of that time, wiser, healthier, and more spiritually aware.