Month: August 2023

Authors honored by the National Book Foundation to appear at nine events culminating in the 74^th National Book Awards

The National Book Foundation announced its fall NBF Presents line-up of nine events taking place in Huntsville, Miami, New York, and Portland, from September through November, leading up to the 74^th National Book Awards Ceremony & Benefit Dinner on November 15, 2023. NBF Presents, the moniker for all of the Foundation’s public programs, represents the National Book Foundation’s goal to connect readers across the United States with authors honored by the National Book Foundation through the National Book Awards, 5 Under 35, and Science + Literature. NBF Presents is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Programming for the fall season will be presented alongside new and returning program partners and held in-person, with select events streamed online at no cost to attendees.

Authors honored by the National Book Foundation confirmed to appear at NBF Presents events in the fall season include Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Alexandra Chang, Nikky Finney, Robin Coste Lewis, Darcie Little Badger, Roger Reeves, Marytza K. Rubio, Jacqueline Woodson, and C Pam Zhang, as well as yet-to-be-announced 2023 National Book Award Longlisters. Poet, memoirist, and translator Tomás Q. Morín joins the line-up to moderate an NBF Presents event presented in partnership with Sam Houston State University.

“I cannot stress enough how our partnership with the National Book Foundation has led to the enrichment of our students, faculty, and community at Sam Houston State University,” said Jacob Blevins, Professor and Chair of the English Department at Sam Houston State University. “The event is one of the highlights of our programming, and our community is better for it; this is a testament to the Foundation’s commitment to spreading the culture and the beauty of the literary arts.”

The Foundation will present programs featuring authors honored by the National Book Foundation in partnership with the Brooklyn Book Festival; Miami Book Fair; Portland Book Festival; Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas; and Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, New York.

“Through NBF Presents events, we aspire to connect even more readers with authors and their works, and create space for timely conversations that celebrate the power of diverse stories amid continued book-banning efforts,” said Ruth Dickey, Executive Director of the National Book Foundation. “This upcoming season, we are excited to collaborate with new and longtime partners to bring authors honored by the Foundation—including a new cohort of National Book Award Longlisters, Finalists, and Winners—to readers, in person and online.”

The fall season of NBF Presents events will lead up to the 74^th National Book Awards Ceremony & Benefit Dinner on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, hosted by Drew Barrymore and featuring special guest Oprah Winfrey. On Tuesday, November 14, NYC-area middle and high school students can attend the in-person Teen Press Conference, which will feature a conversation and book signing with the 2023 National Book Award Finalists for Young People’s Literature. That evening, the Finalist Reading, presented in partnership with the NYU Creative Writing Program at NYU Skirball, will gather all 2023 National Book Award Finalists to read excerpts from their honored works. The Teen Press Conference, Finalist Reading, and the National Book Awards Ceremony are all broadcast live for free for readers everywhere.

The full list of confirmed fall NBF Presents events can be found below with additional details and registration information coming soon, and an updated NBF Presents calendar is available at the Foundation’s website. Events are free unless otherwise noted but tickets are limited, so please RSVP directly at the Foundation or partner website as directed.

NBF Presents Fall Schedule

Tuesday, September 19, 6:00pm CDT
In-Person | Huntsville, TX
Sam Houston State University
NBF Presents: An Evening with the National Book Awards

Join National Book Award–honored authors Darcie Little Badger (A Snake Falls to Earth, 2021 Young People’s Literature Longlister), Roger Reeves (Best Barbarian, 2022 Poetry Finalist), and Marytza K. Rubio (Maria, Maria, 2022 Fiction Longlister) for readings and conversation on stories based in and outside of Texas, real and fantastical. Moderated by Tomás Q. Morín, author of Machete and associate professor at Rice University. Presented in partnership with Sam Houston State University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the MFA Program in Creative Writing.

Thursday, September 28, 7:00pm EDT
In-Person & Livestreamed | Harlem, NY
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Schomburg Center and NBF Presents: The Poetics of the Archive

National Book Award Winners Nikky Finney (Head Off & Split, 2011 Poetry Winner) and Robin Coste Lewis (Voyage of the Sable Venus, 2015 Poetry Winner) excavate and reimagine family and historical archives as poetry in their recent books Love Child’s Hotbed of Occasional Poetry and To the Realization of Perfect Helplessness. The authors join National Book Award Winner Jacqueline Woodson (Brown Girl Dreaming, 2014 Young People’s Literature Winner) in conversation on the care of community archival work and the power of Black stories amidst continued book banning. Presented in partnership with Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. This is an official 2023 Brooklyn Book Festival Bookend event. Please register here.

Sunday, October 1
In-Person | Brooklyn, NY
Brooklyn Book Festival
NBF Presents: What Comes After the Debut

Join National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honorees Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (Friday Black; Chain Gang All Stars), Alexandra Chang (Days of Distraction; Tomb Sweeping), and C Pam Zhang (How Much of These Hills Is Gold; Land of Milk and Honey) to celebrate the recent publication of their second books. The authors discuss what it means for your debut book to find its audience, and then return to the page for a new story. Moderated by Natalie Green, Director of Programs & Partnerships at the National Book Foundation. Presented in partnership with the Brooklyn Book Festival.

Saturday, November 4
In-Person | Portland, OR
Portland Book Festival
NBF Presents: An Afternoon with the National Book Awards

2023 National Book Award Longlisters, Finalists, and potential Winners come together for readings and conversation in advance of the 74^th National Book Awards. Presented in partnership with Portland Book Festival. More event details coming soon.

Tuesday, November 14, 10:30am EST
In-Person & Livestreamed | New York, NY
2023 Teen Press Conference

The National Book Award Finalists in Young People’s Literature come together for a conversation and question-and-answer session with New York City’s middle and high school students. While in-person school groups are limited (more information to come here), all are invited to tune-in to the livestream.

Tuesday, November 14, 7:00pm EST
In-Person & Livestreamed | New York, NY
NYU Skirball
2023 National Book Awards Finalist Reading

Each year, the National Book Award Finalists in Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature gather the evening before the National Book Awards Ceremony to read excerpts from their honored works. Doors open at 6:30pm, and the program begins at 7:00pm EST. The event is livestreamed for readers everywhere. Presented in partnership with the NYU Creative Writing Program.

Wednesday, November 15, 8:00pm EST
In-Person & Livestreamed | New York, NY
The 74^th National Book Awards Ceremony & Benefit Dinner

The 74^th National Book Awards Ceremony includes the presentation of the National Book Foundation’s lifetime achievement awards and announces the 2023 Winners of the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, Translated Literature, Poetry, Nonfiction, and Fiction. Hosted by Drew Barrymore and featuring special guest Oprah Winfrey. While the in-person event is invite-only, the Ceremony is livestreamed for free for readers everywhere—register for the broadcast here.

Friday, November 17, 10:00am EST
In-Person | Miami, FL
Miami Book Fair
2023 Teen Press Conference – Miami

The 2023 National Book Award–honored authors in Young People’s Literature visit the Miami Book Fair to share more about their books and answer questions from Miami-Dade County’s middle and high school students. Presented in partnership with the Miami Book Fair. For more information and to RSVP, contact Ismery Pavon at ipavon@mdc.edu.

Saturday, November 18
Miami, FL
Miami Book Fair
NBF Presents: An Afternoon with the National Book Awards

Immediately following the National Book Awards Ceremony in New York, the 2023 honored authors head to the Miami Book Fair. Genre breakout panels take place throughout the day and build to an annual super-sized showcase—featuring 2023 National Book Award Longlisters, Finalists, and Winners in Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature from around the country and world—for rapid-fire readings and questions from Executive Director Ruth Dickey. Presented in partnership with the Miami Book Fair. More event details coming soon.

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For times and locations for events, please visit www.nationalbook.org or the websites of any of our partners.

The National Book Foundation (NBF) announced the inaugural cohort of Fellows selected for the NBF Teacher Fellowship, a new initiative to support and celebrate 6th-12th grade teachers using innovative methods to make reading for pleasure a part of their students’ school day experience. The 2023/2024 NBF Teacher Fellows were selected by a committee, also announced today, of five authors, educators, and literary experts.

“While we were developing our strategic plan, aimed at guiding us through the landmark 75^th National Book Awards and beyond, we wanted to join forces with teachers at a time when access to diverse books is being challenged in classrooms and libraries at an alarming and accelerating rate across the country,” said Ruth Dickey, Executive Director of the National Book Foundation. “The NBF Teacher Fellowship, our latest initiative, aims to do just that by supporting teachers as they implement creative projects that connect more young people with great literature. As the daughter of two teachers, I am deeply inspired by our first cohort of intrepid educators who are already helping to develop lifelong readers by making literature fun, enjoyable, and exciting for their students.”

The 2023/2024 NBF Teacher Fellows are educators in urban, suburban, and rural communities across seven states—Georgia, Iowa, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Texas. Their subject areas include English Language Arts, Social Studies, Spanish, and a Special Education Reading Intervention Class that, when combined, will serve over 1,400 6th-12th grade students during the upcoming academic year. All eight of the selected NBF Teacher Fellows will implement creative and dynamic activities—ranging from gamified reading competitions and bilingual book clubs to reading aloud to senior citizens—that foster a culture of reading and encourage students to become lifelong readers.

“The NBF Teacher Fellowship is the newest addition to our robust slate of education and access initiatives that aim to connect young people across the U.S. with access to exceptional books, authors, and a lifelong love of reading, and teachers are an essential ally in this work,” said Jordan Smith, Deputy Director of the National Book Foundation. “We see the NBF Teacher Fellowship as a unique pathway for the Foundation to support educators who are engaging with their students thoughtfully and dynamically, and who are committed to helping young people see themselves and their communities reflected in the books they read.”

The NBF Teacher Fellows receive a $3,000 stipend upon completion of the program as well as a $2,000 book buying budget. Fellows will develop or extend an initiative that promotes reading for pleasure in their classroom; incorporate National Book Award-honored titles into their curriculum; and participate in a professional learning community with their cohort.

The 2023/2024 selection committee includes authors, educators, and literary experts with a strong commitment to expanding access to excellent literature for young people. Marci Calabretta Cancio-Bello is a program manager for Miami Book Fair and the author of Hour of the Ox. Andrew Donnelly is a Visiting Assistant Professor in English & Southern Studies at the University of Mississippi, and former Mellon/ACLS Public Fellow at the National Book Foundation who helped develop the Teacher Fellowship in its earliest stages. Becky Goetzinger is the Senior Content Specialist of Family Engagement at the National Center for Families Learning and longtime partner on the Foundation’s Book Rich Environments initiative. Tracey Jones-Adzaho is an English teacher at the Foshay Learning Center and Coordinator for the USC Neighborhood Academic Initiative (NAI) program. Randy Ribay is a former teacher and the author of Patron Saints of Nothing, a Finalist for the 2019 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature.

The online application for the 2024/2025 NBF Teacher Fellowship will open in February 2024 (date subject to change). Interested applicants may review the Program & Application Details; full details will be posted in early 2024. Learn more about the NBF Teacher Fellowship at the Foundation’s website.

2023/2024 National Book Foundation Teacher Fellows

Yesenia Caballero
Churchill High School
San Antonio, TX
9^th & 10^th grade English Language Arts
Project: A gamified reading competition that incentivizes reading for fun; throughout the competition, participating students and entire classes can win fun and academic prizes.

Danielle Carvil-Dardey
Tapp Middle School
Powder Springs, GA
6^th-8^th grade Reading
Project: “BLOOM – Brains Learning to Overcome Obstacles and Mountains,” an initiative that crosses content and cultures to expose students to a wide range of literature and promote community connection through reading and sharing about books.

Timothy Foster
Oskaloosa High School
Oskaloosa, IA
9^th-12^th grade Spanish
Project: Holding voluntary book circles for students in upper-level Spanish classes with the goal of increasing language fluency, immersing students in the culture of Spanish-speaking countries and communities, and encouraging students to read diverse narrative experiences in English and Spanish.    

Ardis Iverson
George McGovern Middle School
Sioux Falls, SD
6^th-8^th grade Special Education
Project: Students meet weekly with a senior citizen mentor buddy to read National Book Award-honored titles aloud with the goal of improving literacy skills and building relationships.

Carol Jones
Shawnee Middle School
Shawnee, OK
6^th grade English Language Arts
Project: Students read National Book Award-honored titles to learn about the United States’ history in preparation for creating their own graphic novel, zine, short story, or short video/podcast.

Larissa Pahomov
Science Leadership Academy
Philadelphia, PA
9^th-12^th grade English Language Arts
Project: A year-long contemporary fiction book club where, after students finish reading a book of their choosing, they create an “Author Emulation Handbook” to analyze the author’s craft, write their own creative scene inspired by the author, and share their projects gallery-style with their classmates.

Raquel Reynoso
Bronx Park Middle School
Bronx, NY
8^th grade Social Studies
Project: Students read historical fiction and nonfiction titles aligned with their curriculum units covering 1865 to the present, which center marginalized voices traditionally less heard in history classes, increasing students’ connection to the text and making history lessons more relatable and enjoyable. 

Rodrigo Joseph Rodriguez
William Charles Akins Early College High School
Austin, TX
11^th & 12^th grade English Language Arts
Project: Student-led book and poetry clubs that focus on finding “bookjoy” through discussing the joys of reading, including personalized book reviews, recommendations, and in-person and online book chats hosted by students.

2023/2024 Selection Committee

Marci Calabretta Cancio-Bello is the author of Hour of the Ox, winner of the Donald Hall Prize for Poetry. She co-translated Yi Won’s The World’s Lightest Motorcycle, which won the 2022 Translation Grand Prize from the Literature Translation Institute of Korea. Cancio-Bello has received fellowships from the NEA, Kundiman, Knight Foundation, and American Literary Translators Association, and her work has appeared in The Kenyon Review Online, the New York Times, and more. She is co-director for the Adoptee Literary Festival and PEN America Miami/South Florida Chapter, and a program manager for Miami Book Fair.

Andrew Donnelly is a Visiting Assistant Professor in English and Southern Studies at the University of Mississippi. He holds a PhD in English from Harvard University and was a Mellon ACLS Public Fellow at the National Book Foundation, where he worked with NBF’s educational programs. He was a high school English teacher in Arkansas and continues to work with the Freedom Project Network of youth empowerment programs in Mississippi.

Becky Goetzinger is the Senior Content Specialist – Family Engagement at the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL).  Her work focuses on creating high-quality professional learning for K-12 educators. Becky brings 24 years of experience as classroom teacher, reading interventionist, and instructional coach to NCFL. During her career, she taught elementary, middle, and high school. She has also served an adjunct professor teaching educator-preparation courses at the collegiate level. Becky holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Kentucky, a master’s degree in Reading Education from the University of Louisville, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Education and Social Change from Bellarmine University. Becky lives in Kentucky. In her free time, she enjoys reading, trying new recipes, traveling, cheering for her favorite team (Go Cats!), and spending time with family and friends.

Tracey Jones-Adzaho has spent the last three decades teaching English to middle and high school students. As a dedicated teacher at Foshay Learning Center and Coordinator for the NAI program, she fuses her educational and professional experiences to impact young minds. In this capacity she incorporates the development of critical thinking skills to all of her students. Mrs. Jones-Adzaho’s passion and purpose is fueled by her steadfast belief that when people are educated, they can significantly contribute to their families and society in various aspects and fields, thus creating a stable and stimulating community. She leads by example, earning a Master of Science in Education from the University of Southern California and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from California State University.

Randy Ribay is an award-winning author of young adult fiction. His most recent novel, Patron Saints of Nothing, earned five starred reviews, was selected as a Freeman Book Award winner, and was a Finalist for the National Book Award, The Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Walden Book Award, Edgar Award, International Thriller Writers Award, and the CILIP Carnegie Medal. His other works include Project Kawayan, After the Shot Drops, and An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes. Randy earned his BA in English Literature from the University of Colorado at Boulder and his EdM in Language and Literacy from Harvard Graduate School of Education. He currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, son, and cat-like dog.