Jeff Hiller will serve as the host of this year’s National Book Awards.
The National Book Foundation announced in a news release that it has tapped the comedian and actor to emcee the ceremony next month. Hiller, who won an Emmy Award last month for his performance in the series Somebody Somewhere, is the author of a memoir, Actress of a Certain Age: My Twenty-Year Trail to Overnight Success, published in June by Simon & Schuster. A critic for Kirkus called the book “a chatty, hilarious, effervescently entertaining autobiography anchored by self-deprecating humility and humanity.”
“Books have been a constant companion in my life, allowing me to understand other people by hearing their stories,” Hiller said in a statement. “I am thrilled to celebrate the literary world’s biggest night by hosting the National Book Awards—where I will meet these authors in person and embarrass myself by weeping from the excitement.”
Corinne Bailey Rae, the Grammy Award–winning singer-songwriter, will perform as a musical guest at the ceremony. “I’m thrilled to be performing at the National Book Awards, and I love that it shines a light on contemporary literature in all its diverse styles,” Bailey Rae said. “I’m an avid reader, and my first picture book, <Put Your Records On, will come out next year. I loved writing this book and sharing my passion for music and my deep belief in the importance of self-expression with children (and adults)!”
The National Book Awards ceremony is scheduled for November 19 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
