‘The Butler’ author Wil Haygood wins prestigious book award

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Writer Wil Haygood, author of multiple books chronicling the lives of 20th-century Black Americans, has won a prestigious book award. The Dayton Literary Peace Price announced Wednesday that Haygood will receive the Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award. Haygood’s books include “The Butler,” based on the life of Eugene Allen, who served eight presidents at the White House. It was adapted into a 2013 film. Sharon Rab, the founder and chair of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation, said Haygood’s books focus on rarely or never-told stories of the Black experience. She said his writing provides desperately needed analysis.