Charles Portis, the author of True Grit and Norwood, will be honoured with a lifetime achievement award in southern literature by Oxford American magazine, a literary quarterly that features writing from and about the American South.

Portis will be awarded the $10,000 US prize at the Best of the South Gala in Little Rock, Ark., on April 3.

At the same gala, Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman receive the inaugural award for outstanding contribution to southern culture from the magazine, which is based in Conway, Ark.

The literature award was first presented in 2006 to novelist Donald Harington.

Portis, 76, is an Arkansas native who has written five comic novels.

His True Grit was adapted for a feature film starring John Wayne in 1969. The Coen Brothers are currently producing another film version of True Grit, starring Jeff Bridges.

Portis's first novel, Norwood, also was adapted for the silver screen, with Glen Campbell in the lead role.

His other novels include the cult classic Dog of the South, Gringos and Masters of Atlantis.

"Portis should be the most popular writer in America," said Marc Smirnoff, the founder and editor of Oxford American, in a press release. "His novels are profoundly funny, profoundly well written and full of heart and truth."