Recluse Harper Lee to get US award

RECLUSIVE author Harper Lee is set for a rare moment in the spotlight next week after being named as one of this year’s recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, will be among those honoured by US President George W Bush at a ceremony at the White House on November 5.

Lee wrote just this one book — which won the Pulitzer Prize — but she has become one of the most-revered living US authors and the title is often cited as a favourite among readers.