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November 2005, eNewsletter
Newsletter  November 2005
National Book Awards Dinner and Ceremony
Young People's Literature Finalists at the Donnell Library Center of The NYPL
Finalists to Read at the New School
National Book Awards in the News
Eat, Drink and Be Literary (Two)
Attention, Booksellers and Librarians
National Book Awards Dinner and Ceremony
The National Book Awards Dinner and Ceremony will take place at The New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square on Wednesday evening, November 16th at 6:30 p.m., hosted by Garrison Keillor. At the event, Toni Morrison will present Norman Mailer with the Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, Jessica Hagedorn will present Lawrence Ferlinghetti with the new Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community, and the Foundation will bestow the National Book Awards for Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry and Young People's Literature. For more information, call the National Book Awards Foundation at (212) 685-0261.
Young People's Literature Finalists at the Donnell Library Center of The NYPL
On the morning of Tuesday, November 15th, this year's Finalists for the National Book Award in Young People's Literature-Jeanne Birdsall, Adele Griffin, Chris Lynch, Walter Dean Myers, and Deborah Wiles-will appear at a "press conference" for middle- and high-school students at the Donnell Library Center of The New York Public Library in Manhattan. At the event, students will pepper the panel with questions about the writing life, followed by a reception with the authors. They will then return to their schools to write about their impressions of the writers and the meeting.
Finalists to Read at the New School
Tickets for the National Book Awards are by invitation only, but on November 15th at 7 p.m. at the New School University in New York City, all twenty-one of this year's National Book Award Finalists will appear on the same stage (as of this writing). Hosted by Director of the New School Writing Program Robert Polito and emceed by Paris Review editor-in-chief Philip Gourevitch, each Finalist will read for five minutes from his or her nominated work. Though the event always sells out, as of this writing a few tickets were still available from the New School Box Office at (212) 229-5488.
National Book Awards in the News
Photo Credit: Nathan Latil/ Univ. of MS Imaging Services
John Grisham's October 12th announcement of this year's Finalists for the National Book Award from the porch of Rowan Oak, William Faulkner's home in Oxford, Mississippi, drew a crowd of 200 people and was reported in 177 newspapers, magazines, and web sites around the world. Among the many major articles that have appeared: on Monday, October 24th, Nonfiction Finalist Joan Didion was interviewed on Charlie Rose; on Sunday, October 30th, the New York Times published a story on Fiction Finalist Mary Gaitskill; and on Sunday, November 6th, the New York Times Magazine published an interview with Literarian Award Recipient Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
Eat, Drink and Be Literary (Two)
Now in its second year, the National Book Awards and the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) will present nine acclaimed authors for Eat, Drink & Be Literary: Dinner and a Reading in BAMcafé. The events will begin at 6:30 p.m. with live music and wine-provided by Napa Valley's award-winning Pine Ridge Winery-followed by a delicious buffet dinner in the BAMcafé prepared by executive chef, Carlos Baca. At 8 p.m. the literary program begins with authors reading from their works, participating in a discussion with the moderator, and answering questions from audience members. The Shakespeare & Co. BAMshop will provide books for purchase and signing. 

The featured authors and moderators are:

  • January 12: Gish Jen, with Kurt Andersen
  • January 26: Julian Barnes, with Kurt Andersen
  • February 9: Caryl Phillips, with Kurt Andersen
  • February 23: Jonathan Safran Foer, with Kurt Andersen
  • March 16: John Sayles, with Jessica Hagedorn
  • April 6: Julia Alvarez, with Jessica Hagedorn
  • April 20: Jonathan Lethem, with Jessica Hagedorn
  • May 18: Mary Gaitskill, with Jessica Hagedorn
  • June 1: Nicole Krauss, with Jessica Hagedorn
Tickets are $42 per event, including admission to the reading, dinner, wine, tax, and tip.  A 20% discount is available to those who buy tickets to five or more events.  Subscription and single tickets may be purchased through BAM Ticket Services 718.636.4100. Single tickets may also be purchased online at BAM.org and in person at the BAM Box Office, Peter Jay Sharp Building, 30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn. BAMcafé is on the second floor of the BAM Peter Jay Sharp Building.
Attention, Booksellers and Librarians
In conjunction with the American Booksellers Association, the National Book Awards recently sent shelf-talkers free-of-charge to over 1,200 independent bookstores across the United States to promote this year's National Book Award Finalists. Shelf-talkers can be used alone or as an adjunct to the distinctive Finalist's silver medallion stickers, which are affixed to book covers. These attractive white and blue labels are meant to catch the eye of bookstore customers. Booksellers who did not receive shelf-talkers or would like to order additional ones should call Sherrie Young at (212) 685-0261 or e-mail syoung@nationalbook.org. Silver medallion stickers (and gold medallions) are also available to booksellers at a modest cost and are available from Meredith Andrews at mandrews@nationalbook.org.

The National Book Awards and the American Library Association (ALA) have teamed up to bring librarians up-to-the-minute information on the National Book Awards. A special page on the Foundation's Web site provides librarians with information on how to invite National Book Award Finalists to their libraries. In the future, the National Book Awards will also promote other American Library Association efforts, such as the recent Banned Books Week.

For librarians with face-out shelving of this year's National Book Award Finalists, shelf-talkers are also available (see above). Call Sherrie Young at (212) 685-0261 or e-mail syoung@nationalbook.org. 

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