The ALA Annual Conference has been going on all weekend in Anaheim, CA. The biggest news in adult leisure reading if the conference is the awarding of the first ever Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Adult Fiction and Nonfiction.
Here is the link to the press release from RUSA which I have also re-posted below:
For Immediate Release
Mon, 06/25/2012 - 19:40
Contact: Macey Morales
RUSA, Conference Services (cs), Publishing (pub)
Anaheim, Calif. – The American Library Association (ALA)
is proud to announce the first recipients of the Andrew Carnegie Medals
for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction, funded through a grant from
Carnegie Corporation of New York. Anne Enright’s "The Forgotten Waltz"
received the medal for fiction and Robert K. Massie’s "Catherine the
Great: Portrait of a Woman" received the nonfiction prize. The medals
recognize the best fiction and nonfiction books for adult readers
published the previous year in the United States. The selections were
unveiled during the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif.
This is the first time that the ALA,
which sponsors the prestigious Youth Media Awards, including the John
Newbery and Randolph Caldecott Medals for children’s literature, is
offering single-book awards for adult trade fiction and nonfiction.
Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction winners
and finalists were selected based on the expert judgment and insight of
library professionals who work closely with adult readers. This is a
departure from most major book awards, which are judged by writers and
critics.
In Enright’s "The Forgotten Waltz," published by W. W. Norton &
Company, the vicissitudes of extramarital love and the obstructions to
its smooth flow—including spouses, children, and the necessary secrecy
surrounding an affair—are charted in sharp yet supple prose. In a year
without a Pulitzer Prize in fiction, this award becomes even more
meaningful for the literary community.
Massie’s "Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman,"
published by Random House, an imprint of the Random House Publishing
Group, is a compulsively readable biography of the fascinating woman
who, through a combination of luck, personality, and a fine mind, rose
from her birth as a minor German princess to become the Empress of all
the Russias.
“Congratulations to Anne Enright, Robert K. Massie and our finalists,” said Nancy Pearl, high-profile librarian, NPR
commentator and chair of the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in
Fiction and Nonfiction selection committee. “We are so excited to have
such a talented and deserving group of authors for our inaugural
awards.”
The medals are made possible by a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York and are co-sponsored by ALA’s Booklist magazine and the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA).
“In many ways, librarians are the first book critics
many readers come into contact with, and hence we are deeply thankful
for their insight and guidance,” said Vartan Gregorian, president of
Carnegie Corporation of New York and a former president of the New York
Public Library. “The Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction
and Nonfiction take that notion one step further and place the
librarians’ seal of approval on these wonderful books.”
Enright and Massie each receive a medal and $5,000, and each finalist receives $1,500.
Nonfiction finalists include "The Information: A
History, a Theory, a Flood," by James Gleick, published by Pantheon
Books, a division of Random House, Inc., and "Malcolm X: A Life of
Reinvention," by the late Manning Marable, published by Viking Penguin, a
member of Penguin Group (USA).
Fiction finalists include "Lost Memory of Skin," by
Russell Banks, published by Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
and "Swamplandia!," by Karen Russell, published by Alfred A. Knopf, a
division of Random House, Inc.
For annotations and more information on the winners, finalists and the awards please visit http://www.ala.org/carnegieadult.
Members of the 2012 Andrew Carnegie Medals for
Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction inaugural selection committee
include: Chair, Nancy Pearl; Brad Hooper, editor, Adult Books, Booklist,
Chicago; Danise Hoover, associate librarian, Public Services, Hunter
College Library, New York; A. Issac Pulver, director, Saratoga Springs
(N.Y.) Public Library; Nonny Schlotzhauer, librarian, Collection
Development/Social Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University,
University Park, Pa.; Donna Seaman, senior editor, Adult Books,
Booklist, Chicago; and Rebecca Vnuk, editor, Reference and Collection
Management, Booklist, Chicago.
About Carnegie Corporation of New YorkCarnegie Corporation of New York was created by Andrew
Carnegie in 1911 to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge
and understanding. In keeping with this mandate, the Corporation's work
focuses on the issues that Andrew Carnegie considered of paramount
importance: international peace, the advancement of education and
knowledge, and the strength of our democracy.
About BooklistBooklist is the book review magazine of the American
Library Association, considered an essential collection development and
readers' advisory tool by thousands of librarians for more than 100
years. Booklist Online includes a growing archive of 135,000+ reviews
available to subscribers as well as a wealth of free content offering
the latest news and views on books and media.
About Reference and User Services Association (RUSA)The Reference and User Services Association is
responsible for stimulating and supporting excellence in the delivery of
general library services and materials, and the provision of reference
and information services, collection development, readers' advisory, and
resource sharing for adults, in every type of library.
About the ALAEstablished in 1876, the American Library Association (ALA)
is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization created to provide leadership
for the development, promotion, and improvement of library and
information services and the profession of librarianship in order to
enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.
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