Wikipedia

National Book Award

(Redirected from Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters)
This article is for the National Book Award of the United States. For other countries see National Book Awards (disambiguation).

The National Book Awards (NBA) are a set of annual U.S. literary awards.[1][2] At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors. The National Book Awards were established in 1936 by the American Booksellers Association,[3][4] abandoned during World War II, and re-established by three book industry organizations in 1950. Non-U.S. authors and publishers were eligible for the pre-war awards. Since then they are presented to U.S. authors for books published in the United States roughly during the award year.

National Book Award
Logo of National Book Awards
Sponsored byU.S. books industry
DateNovember
Hosted byNational Book Foundation
First awardedOriginal version: 1936–42 (1935–41 publications); new version: 1950 (1949 publications)
Last awardedActive
Websitenationalbook.org
The medallions of National Book Awards

The nonprofit National Book Foundation was established in 1988 to administer and enhance the National Book Awards and "move beyond [them] into the fields of education and literacy", primarily by sponsoring public appearances by writers.[5] Its mission is "to celebrate the best literature in America, expand its audience, and ensure that books have a prominent place in American culture."[6]

In 2018, there were 1,637 books nominated for the five award categories, led by the Nonfiction category with 546 nominations. The 2018 ceremony was held on November 14 in New York City.[7]

Winners and finalists

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Process

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National Book Awards are given to one book (author) annually in each of five categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translation, and young people's literature. There have previously been many other categories but they have been retired or subsumed in the existing five. The National Book Foundation also presents two lifetime achievement awards each year: the "Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters" and the "Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community".[9]

Only publishers nominate books for the National Book Awards, but panelists may request particular nominations from publishers. Each panel comprises five judges, including writers, librarians, booksellers, and literary critics. In 2013, the judging panels were expanded to include experts in the literary field in addition to established writers.[10]

Each panel considers hundreds of books each year in each of the five categories. In 2013, the Foundation announced the addition of a National Book Awards longlist—announced in September and consisting of ten titles per category—to precede the finalists list, announced in October and comprising five titles per category.[11] The fifth category, the National Book Award for Translated Literature, was added in 2018, recognizing works in translation for the first time since 1983.[12] At the National Book Awards Ceremony and Dinner held in New York City each November, the chair of each judging panel announces the winners of the year's National Book Awards. Each finalist receives $1,000, a medal, and a citation written by the judging panel; winners get $10,000 and a bronze sculpture.[13]

History

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Pre-war awards by booksellers

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The first National Book Awards were presented in May 1936 at the annual convention of the American Booksellers Association, one month after The New York Times reported institution of the "new annual award". The winners were authors of four 1935 books selected by a vote of ABA members. Virginia Kirkus chaired the central committee of seven including the ABA president, three bookshops, Publishers Weekly, and American News Company. Three were called "the most distinguished of 1935" (novel, biography, and general nonfiction) and one "the most original" (novel).[3][4] Two of the books were advertised by their publishers as "The most distinguished autobiography of 1935" and "The most distinguished general non-fiction book of 1935" in NYTimes on May 12, the same day that the newspaper reported yesterday's awards.[note 1]

For the next six years, 1937 to 1942, the awards were announced from mid-February to early March.[14][15][16][17][18][19]

The "Most Distinguished" Nonfiction, Biography, and Novel (for 1935 and 1936)[3][4][14] were reduced to two and termed "Favorite" Nonfiction and Fiction beginning 1937. Master of ceremonies Clifton Fadiman declined to consider the Pulitzer Prizes (not yet announced in February 1938) as potential ratifications. "Unlike the Pulitzer Prize committee, the booksellers merely vote for their favorite books. They do not say it is the best book or the one that will elevate the standard of manhood or womanhood. Twenty years from now we can decide which are the masterpieces. This year we can only decide which books we enjoyed reading the most."[15]

The Bookseller Discovery officially recognized "outstanding merit which failed to receive adequate sales and recognition" (quoted by NYT)[16] Finally that award stood alone for 1941 and the New York Times frankly called it "a sort of consolation prize that the booksellers hope will draw attention to his work."[19]

The winning authors and books were selected by a nationwide poll of booksellers (ABA members); during the 1937/38 cycle, ballots were received from 319 stores, triple the number who voted in the first rendition early in 1936.[15] In a 1941 advertisement, the Booksellers described the "significance of the awards" thus:[20]

In effect, his ballot says, "Of all the books of the year these are the three I enjoyed most – in two ways! I enjoyed reading them; and I enjoyed selling them." And that to a bookseller means people who, on his recommendation, read and enjoyed – and sent in other people who also read and enjoyed. The National Book Awards give you perhaps a greater guarantee of reading pleasure than any other literary prizes.

Reestablished by the book industry

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In January 1950 three book industry organizations announced that "works by Americans published here" would be recognized by three awards in March (at the annual convention?). There would be three distinct panels of five judges.[21] The fifteen judges were "Elmer Davis, John Kieran, Henry Steele Commager, Fairfield Osborn and Norman Cousins for non-fiction; Mary Colum, Glenway Wescott, Max Gissin, W. G. Rogers and Malcolm Cowley for fiction; and W. H. Auden, Louise Bogan, Babett Duetsch, Horace Gregory and Louise Untermeyer for poetry."[22]

The awards were administered by the National Book Committee from 1950 to 1974, when the Committee disbanded after publishers withdrew support.[23][24]

In 1950 and 1967, at least, the prize sponsors were three book-industry organizations American Booksellers Association, the American Book Publishers Council and the Book Manufacturers Institute.[21][23]

In 1973 NYTimes still called the National Book Committee a nonprofit funded "by publishers and by organizations involved in the book trade"[25] A temporary Committee on Awards Policy handled 1975.[24]

New categories and split awards

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In 1964 Nonfiction was divided in three.[26] The National Book Award for Translation was introduced in 1967 and split between two books,[27] the first split.[25]

Children's literature was first recognized as one of seven categories in 1969.[28] Two awards were split in 1973 for the first time.[25]

Publishers dropped their support after 1974 and the National Book Committee was disbanded.[24] In 1975 the temporary administrator"begged" judges not to split awards.[24]

Three of 27 awards were split in 1983[29] before the drastic cutback that also required selection of a single winner in all three categories for 1984.[30][31]

The currently active Poetry category was added in 1991, followed by Young People's Literature in 1996, and Translated Literature in 2018.[32]

"American Book Awards"

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In 1980 the "National Book Awards" were canceled and replaced by "American Book Awards" on the film industry model (Oscars). "It will be run almost exactly the way the Academy Awards are run," a spokesman told reporters."[33] There would be nearly 30 awards presented in an extravagant TV-friendly ceremony, to winners selected by a standing "academy" of more than 2,000 people in the book industry.[33] Implementation was poor, the episode a disaster.[33]

Most new categories survived only one to four cycles, 1980 to 1983. There were seven awards categories in 1979, twenty-eight in 1980, nineteen in 1983 (plus graphics awards, see below), three in 1984.[34][35]

In 1983 there were 30 award winners in 27 categories including 14 categories of literary achievement in writing for adults; in turn, five for hardcover editions, six for paperback editions, and three general.[29]

1983 awards categories (27)

  • 8 for graphics: Pictorial Design, Typographical Design, Illustration Collected Art, Illustration Original Art, Illustration Photographs, Cover Design, Jacket Design[note 2]
  • 5 for children's literature: (Children's) Fiction hardcover and paperback, Nonfiction, Picture Books hardcover and paperback
  • 14 for adults' literature: General Nonfiction hardcover and paperback, History hardcover and paperback, Biography hardcover and paperback, Science hardcover and paperback, Translation, Fiction hardcover and paperback, Poetry, First Novel, Original Paperback

Late that year, the AAP Board voted to fund a new version of the Awards, which had been "close to expiring from lack of support". At the time, AAP and Harper & Row president Brooks Thomas anticipated "probably fewer than ten" categories, including some "only for original paperbacks, not reprints". Edwin McDowell reported that "many book-industry officials hope ... [to] rank in importance with the $15,000 Booker McConnell Prize for Fiction" (British).[36]

For 1983 publications (January to October) there would be no awards. A committee comprising American Book Awards executive director Barbara Prete and four publishers designed the new and improved program, implemented fall 1984 for a publication year beginning November 1983. They cut the roster to merely three (Nonfiction, Fiction, and First Work of Fiction), moved the ceremony from early spring to late fall, and redefined eligibility to require publication during the calendar year of the awards (roughly, see Annual eligibility).[30] There were only fiction and nonfiction awards in 1986.[37]

1987-present day

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In 1987 the "National" award returned in name. Covering the November ceremony, Edwin McDowell of The New York Times remarked upon the recurring changes in format and contrasted 1983 in particular, when there were 96 finalists in 27 awards categories (listed above).

The surviving awards for general Fiction and Nonfiction, now with precisely five finalists each, were administered by National Book Awards, Inc., whose Chairman of the Board was the president of Hearst Trade Book Group. He declaimed that "Book people are really not actors, and there's a realization now that we should not try to reward things like who did the best book blurb."[38] The fixed number five finalists was retained through 2012,[39] while the number of book categories has doubled with the addition of Poetry in 1991 and Young People's Literature in 1996.[8] Beginning with 2013, the Foundation announced there would be a "longlist" of 10 titles in each of the four categories in September (40 titles), followed by a "finalist" list of 5 titles in October (20 titles), and then the winners in November (4 titles).[11] In 2018 a fifth award category was announced, the National Book Award for Translated Literature.[40] It is for living translators and authors and for fiction and non-fiction. The foundation previously gave a translation award from 1967-1983, but did not require the author to be living and was for fiction only.

In 2024, the National Book Foundation announced the awards would no longer require U.S. citizenship for eligibility, following a similar decision the Pulitzer Prizes had made in 2023.[41][42][43]

Annual eligibility

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A book must be published "between December 1 of the previous year and November 30 of the current year" to be eligible. Its publisher must complete a nomination in the spring and mail copies to the panelists. The panelists read all the valid nominees during this time, and the panels compile shortlists in September.[39][44]

The pre-war awards were announced in the winter, usually February, and described with reference to the year of publication, if any; for example, "National Book Awards for 1939" announced February 1940.[45] The 1950 to 1983 awards, as the National Book Foundation labeled them, were presented in the spring to works published during the preceding calendar year.[29][46] Since 1984 the NBA have been presented in the fall, usually November, to books published roughly during the calendar year (December of the previous year through November).[30][44]

Medal for Distinguished Contribution (lifetime)

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The Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters is a lifetime achievement award presented by the Foundation at the final ceremony for the Book Awards. The medal comes with a cash prize of $10,000. It recognizes someone who "has enriched [American] literary heritage over a life of service, or a corpus of work."[5]

Five of the seventeen medalists through 2004 were previous National Book Award winners (Bellow, Welty, McCullough, Updike, and Roth, all but McCullough for fiction). Between 2005 and 2018, all of the medalists except Leonard and Allende have been previous National Book Award winners.

Literarian Award for Outstanding Service (lifetime)

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The Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community is a lifetime achievement award presented by the Foundation annually from 2005. It recognizes "an individual for outstanding service to the American literary community, whose life and work exemplify the goals of the National Book Foundation to expand the audience for literature and to enhance the cultural value of literature in America."[60]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Both on page 21: Vincent Sheean's autobiography Personal History advertised by Doubleday, Doran; Anne Morrow Lindbergh's North to the Orient advertised by Harcourt, Brace & Co.
      By 1937/38, if not earlier, there would be "National Book Award Editions" of some books.
  2. ^ Only seven graphics awards are listed here, as in the contemporary source. Multiple sources say 27 and 19.

References

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  1. ^ "National Book Award" Archived 2009-05-17 at the Wayback Machine, Infoplease: Arts and Entertainment: Awards: Book, Magazine, Newspaper Awards. Infoplease.com. Retrieved before 2011-10.
  2. ^ "Seattle's Egan wins National Book Award" Archived 2010-04-09 at the Wayback Machine, Mary Ann Gwynn, The Seattle Times, November 15, 2006. Retrieved before 2011-10.
  3. ^ a b c "Books and Authors", The New York Times, 1936-04-12, page BR12.
  4. ^ a b c "Lewis is Scornful of Radio Culture: Nothing Ever Will Replace the Old-Fashioned Book ...", The New York Times, 1936-05-12, page 25.
  5. ^ a b National Book Foundation: Awards: "Distinguished Contribution to American Letters" Archived 2011-03-10 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved before 2012-01-07.
  6. ^ National Book Foundation: "Mission and History of the National Book Foundation" Archived 2023-08-05 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
  7. ^ National Book Foundation: About Us: "Frequently Asked Questions" Archived 2017-11-19 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
  8. ^ a b National Book Foundation: Awards: "National Book Award Winners: 1950 – 2009" Archived 2012-05-28 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
  9. ^ National Book Foundation: About Us: "History of the National Book Awards" Archived 2018-10-03 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved before 2011-10.
  10. ^ "How the National Book Awards Work". www.nationalbook.org. Archived from the original on June 9, 2011. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  11. ^ a b "National Book Foundation Announces Changes in the National Book Awards Review and Selection Process". National Book Award. January 15, 2013. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
  12. ^ "Book Awards Honor Translated Literature For The First Time Since 1983". NPR.org. Archived from the original on January 1, 2019. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  13. ^ National Book Foundation: Awards: "National Book Award Selection Process" Archived 2008-06-13 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved before 2011-10.
  14. ^ a b "5 Honors Awarded on the Year's Books: Authors of Preferred Volumes Hailed at Luncheon of Booksellers Group", The New York Times, 1937-02-26, page 23.
  15. ^ a b c
    "Booksellers Give Prize to 'Citadel': Cronin's Work About Doctors Their Favorite--'Mme. Curie' Gets Non-Fiction Award TWO OTHERS WIN HONORS Fadiman Is 'Not Interested' in What Pulitzer Committee Thinks of Selections", The New York Times 1938-03-02, page 14.
  16. ^ a b "Book About Plants Receives Award: Dr. Fairchild's 'Garden' Work Cited by Booksellers", The New York Times 1939-02-15, page 20.
  17. ^ "1939 Book Awards Given by Critics: Elgin Groseclose's 'Ararat' is Picked as Work Which Failed to Get Due Recognition", The New York Times, 1940-02-14, page 25.
  18. ^ "Books and Authors", The New York Times, 1941-02-16, page BR12.
  19. ^ a b "Neglected Author Gets High Honor: 1941 Book Award Presented to George Perry for 'Hold Autumn In Your Hand'", The New York Times, 1942-02-11, page 18.
  20. ^ "The Booksellers of America Announce Their National Awards", The New York Times, February 23, 1941, page BR21.
    • More than half of the advertisement featured the three prize books of 1937, announced earlier that month. The "Discovery of the Year" sported a dust jacket with stylized "First Prize" ribbon affixed and the Novel was promoted in its "National Book Award Edition" (also advertised ten days earlier: February 13, 1941, page 17).
  21. ^ a b "Book Trade Plans to Honor Writers: Industry Will Award Annual Prizes for Poetry, Fiction ...", The New York Times, January 22, 1950, page 68.
  22. ^ "Host of Celebrated Writers To Attend Book Award Dinner". Seminole Producer. March 26, 1950. p. 7. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  23. ^ a b "Book Award Goes to 'La Vida'; 'The Fixer' Wins Fiction Prize: 3 Others Will Be Honored at a Cerem[ony] ...", The New York Times, March 5, 1967, page 39.
  24. ^ a b c d "The Last of the National Book Awards?" (The Guest Word), William Cole, The New York Times, May 4, 1975, page 288.
  25. ^ a b c "2 Book Awards Split for First Time" Archived 2018-03-18 at archive.today, Eric Pace, The New York Times, April 11, 1973. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
  26. ^ "National Book Awards – 1964" Archived 2021-04-15 at the Wayback Machine. National Book Foundation. Retrieved 2012-01-31. Compare 1963 (via menu at top of page).
  27. ^ "National Book Awards – 1967" Archived 2019-03-28 at the Wayback Machine. National Book Foundation. Retrieved 2012-01-31. Compare 1966 (via menu at top of page).
  28. ^ "National Book Awards – 1969" Archived 2018-10-28 at the Wayback Machine. National Book Foundation. Retrieved 2012-01-31. Compare 1968 (via menu at top of page).
  29. ^ a b c "American Book Awards Announced", Edwin McDowell, The New York Times, April 14, 1983, page C30.
  30. ^ a b c "11 Nominated for American Book Awards", Edwin McDowell, The New York Times, October 18, 1984, page C25.
  31. ^ "Three Writers Win Book Awards". The New York Times, November 16, 1984, page C32.
  32. ^ "National Book Foundation - Browse Awards by Year". National Book Foundation. Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  33. ^ a b c "The Short, Unsuccessful Life of the American Book Awards" Archived 2019-09-03 at the Wayback Machine, Craig Fehrman, The New York Times, October 28, 2011. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  34. ^ "National Book Awards – 1979" Archived 2019-06-20 at the Wayback Machine. National Book Foundation. Retrieved 2012-02-04.
  35. ^ "National Book Awards – 1980" Archived 2020-04-26 at the Wayback Machine. National Book Foundation. Retrieved 2012-02-04. Compare 1983 and 1984 (via menu at top of page).
  36. ^ "Publishing: New Life for American Book Awards", Edwin McDowell, The New York Times, November 4, 1983, page C28.
  37. ^ "National Book Awards - 1986". National Book Foundation. Archived from the original on October 28, 2018. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
  38. ^ "An Upset at the Book Awards", Edwin McDowell, The New York Times, November 10, 1987, page C13.
  39. ^ a b National Book Foundation: Awards: "How the National Book Awards Work" Archived 2011-06-09 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
  40. ^ Alexandra Alter (January 31, 2018). "The Globalization of the National Book Awards". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 15, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  41. ^ Alter, Alexandra (February 15, 2024). "The National Book Awards Opens Up to Writers Who Are Not U.S. Citizens". The New York Times. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  42. ^ Stewart, Sophia (February 15, 2024). "National Book Awards Expand Eligibility to Non–U.S. Citizens". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  43. ^ Evans, Nia T. (February 15, 2024). "The National Book Awards Finally Expands Eligibility Rules to Include Non-Citizens". Mother Jones. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  44. ^ a b "National Book Awards Entry Rules & Guidelines, The National Book Foundation". www.nationalbook.org. Archived from the original on November 19, 2017. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  45. ^ "1939 Book Awards Given by Critics: Elgin Groseclose's 'Ararat' is Picked as Work Which Failed to Get Due Recognition", The New York Times, February 14, 1940, page 25.
  46. ^ "Book Publishers Make 3 Awards: ... Gold Plaques", The New York Times, March 17, 1950, page 21.
  47. ^ Alison Flood (September 20, 2012). "Elmore Leonard to be honoured by National Book Foundation". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
  48. ^ "Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, 2013". Archived from the original on January 5, 2014. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  49. ^ Baker, Jeff (September 9, 2014). "Ursula K. Le Guin wins big honor from National Book Foundation". oregonlive.com. Archived from the original on September 10, 2014. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
  50. ^ "The 2014 Medalist For Distinguished Contribution To American Letters". September 9, 2014. Archived from the original on November 24, 2015. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
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  52. ^ "Robert A. Caro to Receive 2016 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters". penguinrandomhouse.com. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
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  59. ^ Italie, Hillel (September 8, 2023). "Poet Rita Dove to receive an honorary National Book Award medal for lifetime achievement". Associated Press. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  60. ^ National Book Foundation: Awards: "Literarian Award – 2005" Archived 2011-10-15 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved before 2011-10.
  61. ^ Leslie Kaufman (November 14, 2012). "Novel About Racial Injustice Wins National Book Award". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
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  71. ^ "ALA Executive Director Tracie D. Hall Receives Literarian Award from National Book Foundation". News and Press Center. September 7, 2022. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  72. ^ McMurtrie, John (September 6, 2023). "The quintessential California bookseller behind City Lights gets his moment". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
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