"The Known World" is a novel written by Edward P. Jones and published in 2003. The novel is set in antebellum Virginia and tells the story of Henry Townsend, a Black slave owner, and the complex relationships and power dynamics within his community. The novel explores themes of race, power, and the moral ambiguities of slavery, and is known for its richly drawn characters and its evocative and poetic language. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2004 and the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction in 2003. It is widely considered a masterpiece and a classic of African American literature. Jones, an African American writer, is known for his works that deal with the complexities of the black experience and the African American history.