Robert Harrison, professor of Italian literature, was recently awarded the diploma and honorific title of “Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres,” one of the highest cultural honors in France, by Aurélie Filippetti, the French Minister of Culture and Communication.

Previously awarded to T.S. Eliot, Václav Havel and George Clooney, among others, the award aims to recognize prominent authors or artists who have expanded the limits of arts in France and the rest of the world.

Harrison, a prolific and eminent author, has contributed to the New York Review of Books and is the author of several well-acclaimed books, including “The Body of Beatrice,” “Forests: The Shadow of Civilization,” “The Dominion of the Dead” and “Gardens: An Essay on the Human Condition.”

Apart from his literary contributions, he is also well known as the host of “Entitled Opinions,” a weekly radio talk show traversing several genres of the humanities.

Harrison’s new book, “Juvenescence: A Cultural History of Our Age,” will come out in the autumn of 2014.

“It’s hard to characterize succinctly what [the book] is about,” he said in an interview with The Book Haven. “What kind of age are we, culturally speaking, at this time? How old are we in this particular age?”

Contact Helin Gao at [email protected].