The NBF released their strategic plan through 2025, following an extensive survey process. Among their goals is to double the viewership of the National Book Awards, “establish an ongoing fund to support the literary field” through a “permanent iteration of the Literary Arts Emergency Fund,” add two or three new staff positions with a focus on development and programmatic work, and “formalize the Foundation’s commitment to diversity, equity, access, and inclusion.”
Awards
Gunty, Perry Win National Book Awards
The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty (Knopf) won the National Book Award for fiction at the 73rd annual awards ceremony—resuming an in-person event for the first time since 2019. Gunty, who didn’t prepare a speech, thanked her fellow nominees for “putting their work into the world.” She referenced something Sharon Olds had said at an event the previous day, “How we’ve been preparing to put forth actions for the good, and that’s why we don’t have to be afraid. And when I think about everyone else on this list, that’s what each of those books accomplished, as different as they may […]
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka, Forthcoming from Norton, Wins Booker Prize
Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka won the Booker Prize for his second novel, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida. A creator of rock songs, screenplays and travel stories as well, Karunatilaka’s debut novel, Chinaman (published in the US by Graywolf as The Legend of Pradeep Mathew), won the Commonwealth Prize in 2011. Norton bought North American rights to Seven Moons at auction shortly before the shortlist was announced, and currently has trade paperback publication scheduled for November 1. Independent press Sort of Books published in the UK, and Karunatilaka is represented by David Godwin Agency. In the spring, Little Brown UK […]
Ada Limón Named Poet Laureate
The Library of Congress named Ada Limón the 24th poet laureate of the US. Limón, 46, has published six books, including, most recently The Hurting Kind (2022, Milkweed Editions) and The Carrying (2018, Milkweed Editions), which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry. She succeeds Joy Harjo and takes up the position it the fall, beginning with a reading on September 29. Limón told the New York Times, “Right now, so often we are going numb to grief and numb to tragedy and numb to crisis. Poetry is a way back in, to recognizing that we are feeling […]
MWA Launches Lillian Jackson Braun Award
The Mystery Writers of America announced a new award, the $2,000 Lilian Jackson Braun Award “for the best full-length, contemporary cozy mystery published by an MWA-approved publisher.” The prize is named after the author of “The Cat Who…” series, who died in 2011. The winner will be announced at the Edgar Awards banquet in New York City each spring. Greg Herren, the executive vice-president of MWA, said, “Lilian Jackson Braun is a legend in the mystery community. Her incredibly generous bequest to MWA was a very pleasant surprise and will enable us to fund some exciting new projects and programs […]
Costa Book Awards End After 50 Years
The Costa Book Awards, founded in 1971 and sponsored by Costa Coffee since 2005, have been cancelled. Costa wrote in the announcement, “After 50 years of celebrating some of the most enjoyable books written by hugely talented authors from across the UK and Ireland, Costa Coffee has taken the difficult decision to end the Costa Book Awards. This means that the 2021 Costa Book Awards held in February 2022 was our 50th and final awards.” They continue, “We are incredibly proud to have played a part in supporting some of the best-selling authors of the last 50 years as well as […]