Stephen Sondheim to receive PEN ‘literary service’ award

NEW YORK – Stephen Sondheim’s latest honor comes from literary and human rights organization PEN America.

The group announced Wednesday that the composer is this year’s recipient of the PEN/Allen Foundation Literary Service Award. Meryl Streep will present Sondheim with the award at the group’s annual literary gala April 25 at the American Museum of Natural History.

Sondheim has written music or lyrics or both for “West Side Story,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Into the Woods” and more. “A Little Night Music” opens this weekend at Spokane Civic Theatre.

PEN will also honor Macmillan CEO John Sargent for his advocacy of publishers’ and authors’ rights.

It’s the second straight year PEN has cited a publisher who confronted Amazon. In 2010, Amazon removed “Buy” buttons from Macmillan books, including works by Jonathan Franzen and Hilary Mantel, in a dispute over e-book prices.