[news release] 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
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 York
Carnegie 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 Booklist
Booklist 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.
