Overheard: Deliberations of the 2020 BPL Literary Prize Committee
Each fall, the Brooklyn Public Library Literary Prize recognizes an outstanding work of both nonfiction and fiction with an award and a $5,000 prize. The 2020 awardees will finally be announced on Friday, November 20th at the Brooklyn Classic–the signature fundraising event of the Brooklyn Eagles. To pick the winners, a volunteer team of two dozen librarians spend the better part of a year evaluating titles submitted by staff from across the borough. The committee looks for books published after June 1, 2019 that push boundaries, bring light to unheralded stories, or give voice to…
Behind the Scenes with the BPL Literary Prize Committee
Off the Shelf Editorial Staff; Erik Bobilin
The 2019 Literary Prize Shortlist Announcement: an Opportunity to Check-In with the Committee On Tuesday, September 24, Brooklyn Public Library announced its shortlist for the 2019 Brooklyn Public Library Literary Prize for fiction/poetry and nonfiction. The eight selections—including two books of poetry, a short story collection, a novel and four works of nonfiction—were selected by a team of librarians. The shortlist constitutes the final stage in a rigorous, year-round process for determining the winners of the annual Prize. Last year, Jeanne Theoharis was…