The National Book Awards are going virtual.
The annual literary awards ceremony will be held online this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Book Foundation announced in a news release. Other events associated with the prizes will also move to a digital format.
“Though the medium is new, the entire Board and National Book Foundation staff remain committed to hosting a National Book Awards celebration that is a beacon of hope for all who attend…and one that maintains the high standards that have come to be associated with the Awards and the National Book Foundation,” David Steinberger, chair of the National Book Foundation board, said.
The foundation said that the number of submissions for the awards was the same as in previous years, and that the judges for the awards are reading all of the submitted books digitally.
Lisa Lucas, the executive director of the foundation, said the group was “so grateful” for the awards’ judging panels.
“As a country, and within the literary community, we have all experienced a shift in reality; yet through this collective uncertainty, we are dedicated to centering and elevating the work of writers who are grounding us and giving us the gift of their words,” Lucas said. “The ceremony in November is the time for doing so and we look forward to sharing it with all of you.”
The National Book Awards ceremony is scheduled for Nov. 18.
Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
