American Book Awards

The American Book Award is an American literary award that annually recognizes a set of books and people for "outstanding literary achievement". According to the 2010 awards press release, it is "a writers’ award given by other writers" and "there are no categories, no nominees, and therefore no losers."[1]

The Award is administered by the Before Columbus Foundation, which established it in 1978 and inaugurated it in 1980, recognizing a list of eight 1979 publications.[citation needed] Almost every Award recognizes a particular work by an American author[citation needed] without restriction to race, sex, ethnic background, or genre. In 2000 there were two Lifetime Achievement awards, one Editor award, and one Journalism award. There have been several subsequent awards for lifetime achievement and a few to editors.[2]

The 32nd annual American Book Awards were formally announced October 16, 2011, at University of California, Berkeley, Alumni House.[3]

Other ABA

For seven years 1980 to 1986, there were two distinct sets of American Book Awards. The other is now officially one stage of the National Book Awards (NBA) history.

The National Book Foundation is responsible for the National Book Awards (U.S.) from 1989 and officially recognizes a continuous NBA history from 1949/1950. Part of that history is those so-called American Book Awards that formally replaced the National Book Awards after their 1979/1980 cycle, were revamped for 1984, and were renamed "National" in 1987.[4]

The American Book Award is also unrelated to the American Booksellers Association (ABA), although that organization maintains a complete list of award winners that is readily available.[2] Since the 1970s that trade group is also unrelated to the National Book Awards, which it established in 1936 and jointly re-established them as book industry awards in 1950.

Recipients

1980 to 1989

1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989

1990 to 1999

1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
Children' s Book Award: Chiori Santiago (writer) and Judith Lowry (illustrator), Home to Medicine Mountain[2]

2000 to 2009

2000
Lifetime Achievement Award: Frank Chin[2]
Lifetime Achievement Award: Robert Creeley[2]
Journalism Award: Jack E. White[2]
Editor/Publisher Award: Ronald Sukenick[2]
2001
Lifetime Achievement: Ted Joans[2]
Lifetime Achievement: Tillie Olsen[2]
Lifetime Achievement: Philip Whalen[2]
Editor/Publisher Award: Malcolm Margolin[2]
2002
Lifetime Achievement: Lerone Bennett, Jr.[2]
Lifetime Achievement: Jack Hirschman[2]
Children's Literature: Jessel Miller, Angels in the Vineyards[2]
2003
Editor Award: Max Rodriguez, QBR: The Black Book Review (www.qbr.com)[2]
2004
2005
2006
Lifetime Achievement Award: Jay Wright[2]
Editor Award: Chris Hamilton-Emery, Salt Publishing Ltd.[2]
2007
2008
Lifetime Achievement: J.J. Phillips, Author of Mojo Hand: An Orphic Tale
2009
Lifetime Achievement: Miguel Algarín

2010 to date

2010
Lifetime Achievement: Katha Politt, Antarctic Traveller
Lifetime Achievement: Quincy Troupe, The Architecture of Language
2011
Lifetime Achievement: John A. Williams
Lifetime Achievement: Luis Valdez

Sources

References

  1. ^ "For Immediate Release:" (August 5, 2010). Before Columbus Foundation. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "The American Book Awards / Before Columbus Foundation". American Booksellers Association. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
    The Booksellers presentation begins with unattributed quotation from the Awards press release, a primary source used here.
  3. ^ "American Book Awards". Before Columbus Foundation. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
    (The announcement is now the home page, which must be a temporary location.)
  4. ^ "History Of The National Book Awards". National Book Foundation. Retrieved 2012-02-17.