Organization: THE NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION INC
Mission: THE MISSION OF THE NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION AND THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS IS TO CELEBRATE THE BEST OF AMERICAN LITERATURE, TO EXPAND ITS AUDIENCE, AND TO ENHANCE THE CULTURAL VALUE OF GOOD WRITING IN AMERICA. THE FOUNDATION'S STRATEGIES INCLUDE RECOGNITION OF LITERARY EXCELLENCE THROUGH THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS; EDUCATION THROUGH LITERARY PROGRAMS FOR THE SCHOOL CHILDREN, COLLEGE STUDENTS, AND ADULTS; AND ADVOCACY THROUGH THE DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION ON BEST READING PRACTICES AND LITERATURE.
Activities: AWARDS AND HONORSTHE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD IS ONE OF THE NATION'S MOST PRESTIGIOUS LITERARY PRIZES AND HAS A STELLAR RECORD OF IDENTIFYING AND REWARDING QUALITY WRITING. IN 1950, WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS WAS THE FIRST WINNER IN POETRY, THE FOLLOWING YEAR WILLIAM FAULKNER WAS HONORED IN FICTION, AND SO ON THROUGH THE YEARS. MANY PREVIOUS WINNERS OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD ARE NOW FIRMLY ESTABLISHED IN THE CANON OF AMERICAN LITERATURE, INCLUDING SHERMAN ALEXIE, LOUISE ERDRICH, JONATHAN FRANZEN, DENIS JOHNSON, JOYCE CAROL OATES, ADRIENNE RICH, AND JESMYN WARD. AWARDS ARE SELECTED BY A PANEL OF PEER WRITERS AND ARE CURRENTLY PRESENTED IN FOUR CATEGORIES: FICTION, NON-FICTION, POETRY, AND YOUNG PEOPLE'S LITERATURE, AND IN FISCAL YEAR 2020 THE WINNERS WERE, RESPECTIVELY SUSAN CHOI, SARAH M. BROOM, ARTHUR SZE, AND MARTIN W. SANDLER. A FIFTH CATEGORY, FOR TRANSLATED LITERATURE, WAS CREATED AND ANNOUNCED IN FISCAL YEAR 2018 AND SUBMISSIONS WERE ACCEPTED; THE FIRST AWARD IN THIS CATEGORY WAS PRESENTED IN FISCAL YEAR 2019 TO YOKO TAWADA FOR THE EMISSARY WHICH WAS TRANSLATED BY MARGARET MITSUTANI. IN FISCAL YEAR 2020, THE AWARD FOR TRANSLATED LITERATURE WAS PRESENTED TO LASZLO KRASZNAHORKAI FOR BARON WENCKHEIM'S HOMECOMING WHICH WAS TRANSLATED BY OTTILIE MULZET. THE NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION ALSO AWARDS AN ANNUAL MEDAL FOR DISTINGUISHED CONTRIBUTION TO AMERICAN LETTERS TO A PERSON OR ENTITY "WHO, IN THE OPINION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION, HAS ENRICHED OUR LITERARY HERITAGE OVER A LIFE OF SERVICE, OR CORPUS OF WORK." IN FISCAL YEAR 2020, THE MEDAL WAS PRESENTED TO EDMUND WHITE. THE NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION ALSO PRESENTS AN ANNUAL LITERARIAN AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO THE AMERICAN LITERARY COMMUNITY, WHICH IN FISCAL YEAR 2020 WAS AWARDED TO OREN TEICHER. FINALLY, THE 5 UNDER 35 PROGRAM IDENTIFIES AND CELEBRATES FIVE EMERGING FICTION WRITERS ANNUALLY, SELECTED BY FORMER NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALISTS AND WINNERS.PUBLIC PROGRAMSTHE NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION'S PUBLIC PROGRAMS INCLUDED NBF PRESENTS, A SERIES OF PUBLIC READINGS AND BOOK-BASED DISCUSSIONS WITH NATIONAL BOOK AWARD-HONORED AUTHORS AT COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES, LIBRARIES, PERFORMANCE VENUES, AND BOOK FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY; LITERATURE FOR JUSTICE, A NATIONAL PROJECT THAT USES LITERATURE TO CONTEXTUALIZE AND HUMANIZE THE ISSUE OF MASS INCARCERATION IN AMERICA; NOTES FROM THE READING LIFE, A SERIES THAT BRINGS WELL-KNOWN READERS TO LIBRARY BRANCHES IN NEW YORK CITY TO DISCUSS THE BOOKS THAT HAVE CHANGED THEIR LIVES; AND THE ANNUAL INNOVATIONS IN READING PRIZE, AWARDED TO INDIVIDUALS AND INSTITUTIONS THAT HAVE DEVELOPED INNOVATIVE MEANS OF CREATING AND SUSTAINING A LIFELONG LOVE OF READING, WHICH IN FISCAL YEAR 2020 WAS GIVEN TO DIBS FOR KIDS, AN ORGANIZATION DEVOTED TO BRINGING IN-HOME READING OPPORTUNITIES TO ALL 46 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN THE OMAHA PUBLIC SCHOOLS DISTRICT.EDUCATION AND ACCESSTHE NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION IS COMMITTED TO INSPIRING A LOVE OF READING AMONGST YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS SUCH AS BOOKUP, A WRITER-LED, AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR MIDDLE-SCHOOL STUDENTS IN FOUR U.S. CITIES; BOOK RICH ENVIRONMENTS, WHICH IN FISCAL YEAR 2020 DISTRIBUTED 245,000 FREE BOOKS TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES LIVING IN PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITIES NATIONWIDE; AND THE TEEN PRESS CONFERENCE, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS IN NEW YORK CITY AND MIAMI TO HEAR FROM AND ASK QUESTIONS FROM THE 2019 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALISTS IN YOUNG PEOPLE'S LITERATURE.
NTEE category: Arts, Culture & Humanities
Secondary category: Education