The National Book Awards (NBA) are a set of annual literary awards in the United States."National Book Award" , Infoplease: Arts and Entertainment: Awards: Book, Magazine, Newspaper Awards. Infoplease.com. Retrieved before 2011-10."Seattle's Egan wins National Book Award" , Mary Ann Gwynn, The Seattle Times, November 15, 2006. Retrieved before 2011-10. 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,"Books and Authors", The New York Times, 1936-04-12, page BR12."Lewis is Scornful of Radio Culture: Nothing Ever Will Replace the Old-Fashioned Book ...", The New York Times, 1936-05-12, page 25. 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 American authors for books published in the United States roughly during the award year.
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. Its stated mission is "to celebrate the best literature in America, expand its audience, and ensure that books have a prominent place in American culture."National Book Foundation: "Mission and History of the National Book Foundation" . Retrieved 2019-01-03.
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.National Book Foundation: About Us: "Frequently Asked Questions" . Retrieved 2012-01-05.
Winners and finalists List of winners of the National Book Award.National Book Foundation: Awards: "National Book Award Winners: 1950 – 2009" . Retrieved 2012-01-05. National Book Award for Fiction, winners and finalists. National Book Award for Nonfiction, winners and finalists. National Book Award for Poetry, winners and finalists. National Book Award for Translated Literature, winners and finalists. National Book Award for Young People's Literature, winners and finalists.
Process 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".National Book Foundation: About Us: "History of the National Book Awards" . Retrieved before 2011-10.
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.
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. The fifth category, the National Book Award for Translated Literature, was added in 2018, recognizing works in translation for the first time since 1983. 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.National Book Foundation: Awards: "National Book Award Selection Process" . Retrieved before 2011-10.
History
Pre-war awards by booksellers 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). 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.
For the next six years, 1937 to 1942, the awards were announced from mid-February to early March."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."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."Book About Plants Receives Award: Dr. Fairchild's 'Garden' Work Cited by Booksellers", The New York Times 1939-02-15, page 20."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."Books and Authors", The New York Times, 1941-02-16, page BR12."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.
The "Most Distinguished" Nonfiction, Biography, and Novel (for 1935 and 1936) 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."
The Bookseller Discovery officially recognized "outstanding merit which failed to receive adequate sales and recognition" (quoted by NYT) 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."
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. In a 1941 advertisement, the Booksellers described the "significance of the awards" thus:"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). 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 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."Book Trade Plans to Honor Writers: Industry Will Award Annual Prizes for Poetry, Fiction ...", The New York Times, January 22, 1950, page 68. 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."
The awards were administered by the National Book Committee from 1950 to 1974, when the Committee disbanded after publishers withdrew support."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.
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.
In 1973 NYTimes still called the National Book Committee a nonprofit funded "by publishers and by organizations involved in the book trade" A temporary Committee on Awards Policy handled 1975.
New categories and split awards In 1964 Nonfiction was divided in three."National Book Awards – 1964" . National Book Foundation. Retrieved 2012-01-31. Compare 1963 (via menu at top of page). The National Book Award for Translation was introduced in 1967 and split between two books,"National Book Awards – 1967" . National Book Foundation. Retrieved 2012-01-31. Compare 1966 (via menu at top of page). the first split.
Children's literature was first recognized as one of seven categories in 1969."National Book Awards – 1969" . National Book Foundation. Retrieved 2012-01-31. Compare 1968 (via menu at top of page). Two awards were split in 1973 for the first time."2 Book Awards Split for First Time" , Eric Pace, The New York Times, April 11, 1973. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
Publishers dropped their support after 1974 and the National Book Committee was disbanded. In 1975 the temporary administrator "begged" judges not to split awards."The Last of the National Book Awards?" (The Guest Word), William Cole, The New York Times, May 4, 1975, page 288.
Three of 27 awards were split in 1983 before the drastic cutback that also required selection of a single winner in all three categories for 1984."Three Writers Win Book Awards". The New York Times, November 16, 1984, page C32.
The currently active Poetry category was added in 1991, followed by Young People's Literature in 1996, and Translated Literature in 2018.
"American Book Awards" 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.""The Short, Unsuccessful Life of the American Book Awards" , Craig Fehrman, The New York Times, October 28, 2011. Retrieved 2011-10-31. 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. Implementation was poor, the episode a disaster.