National Book Award young adult nominees are back to five
There鈥檚 been even more confusion over the National Book Awards Young People鈥檚 Literature category 鈥� and now the finalists are back to five again after author Lauren Myracle was asked to withdraw.
It all began Oct. 12 when National Book Foundation announced its choices for the shortlist for the Young People鈥檚 Literature award in a live radio broadcast in front of an audience in Oregon. Judges read the list of nominees to the NBF staff over the phone. Customarily, five novels make the category, so the book world was surprised when the book 鈥淐hime鈥� by Franny Billingsley was announced as the sixth contender.
The foundation later said that there had been a mistake, and that was why 鈥淐hime鈥� had been added on.
鈥淭here was a miscommunication,鈥� National Book Foundation executive director Harold Augenbraum said about the extra nominee. It鈥檚 been suggested that the fact that 鈥淐hime鈥� and 鈥淪hine,鈥� the title of Myracle鈥檚 novel, sound similar accounted for the mistake.
Augenbraum said that staff had realized they made a mistake and, rather than take one book off the list, had decided to simply include 鈥淐hime鈥� as well.
鈥淲e could have taken one of the books away to keep it five, but we decided that it was better to add a sixth one as an exception, because they're all good books,鈥� he said soon after the initial announcement.
But then last Friday, the NBF called Myracle and asked her to withdraw, . Myracle agreed.
鈥淚 was over the moon last week after receiving the call telling me that 鈥楽hine鈥� was a finalist for the award,鈥� Myracle said in a statement. 鈥淚 was later informed that 鈥楽hine鈥� had been included in error, but would remain on the list based on its merits. However, on Friday I was asked to withdraw by the National Book Foundation to preserve the integrity of the award and the judges鈥� work, and I have agreed to do so.鈥�
Augenbram told the New York Times that he couldn鈥檛 comment on why the NBF had decided to reverse its original decision, but that the mistake would never happen again.
鈥淭he whole thing is a regrettable incident and I wish it hadn鈥檛 happened,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 feel terrible personally, and I feel terrible for Lauren.鈥�
The NBF stated that at Myracle鈥檚 request, it would donate $5,000 to the Matthew Shepard Foundation. 鈥淪hine鈥� explores the story of a hate crime committed against a gay teenager.
Molly Driscoll is a Monitor contributor.
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