Welcome the nbcc and to welcome to this Years National book. Critics circles awards. The new school and the nbcc have a long standing relationship going back to the very earliest years of the nbcc. Our faculty have been Board Members and awards recipients and our communities have worked together in classrooms and and events since before the memory of anyone here, the annual awards have been hosted at the new school for over 20 years. This few years have been very challenging for all of us with covid, we are finally back on campus for an in real life nbcc simone and of course at the new school we are emerging from last fall when all of us were tested and our ideals and faith in one another and the future working with the nbcc is something to remind us what were here for and were enormously grateful to have a friendship that extends beyond any of us individually. To begin, i have to thank our teams at. T. A. At the new school for bringing us to this evening. Look out for stuart pennebaker and nina grant of the center, kate tully, priyanka laura cronk, the inestimable laura lind, laura lynne turner. And mary watson from the nbcc. Thank you to the nbcc president Megan Labrise awards. Awards vp Maris Kreizman marilyn winick. David barno and Halima Halima alma sidhu be whos up in the basement. Thank you everyone for being here tonight. And with that, see the microphone to Maris KreizmanMaris Kreizman. Sorry to disappoint you all. Im Megan Labrise. Its an absolute joy to welcome you all to the nbcc awards for publishing year 2022. This is the time weve been able to gather in since 2019 as the 2020 ceremony was canceled due to, you know, thank you so much, john. Thank you, john reed, for the introduction. Thank you to the new school for hosting us for this event. The new school has been a generous partner to the National Book critics circle for many, many years. Special thanks to laurie lynn turner, associate director of the new School Creative writing program, for her tremendous efforts on our behalf. Yeah. She written for. As president of the National Book critics circle i have the honor of telling you our origin story tonight picture it manhattan. 1974 lapel. These were wide collars were the place was with telephone booths nicotine and naga hide perfume the air and gore vidal and merle miller topped the New York Times bestseller list that april john leonard, notable aitkin and ivan sander of met at the algonquin to talk reading criticism and literature. They had so fun talking, reading, criticism, literature they thought, lets take this conversation. And the National Book critics circle was born 49 years later, the nbcc serves around 800 freelance and staff book critics, book review editors, student members, friends. Weve become a5a1c3 Nonprofit Organization with a mission thats simple and sweet honor, outstanding writing and Foster National conversation about criticism and literature. We strive to shine a light on books that deserve your attention. Books wed like to discuss with you. We host various panels and programs throughout the year. And of course, each march we give these awards. They remain the only National Literary awards chosen by critics themselves. We thank. The nbcc has honored the work of e. L. Doctorow katha pollitt, alice Jorge Luis Borges is carol anderson. Louise erdrich and Shirley Hazzard in recent years. Francine jay, cathy park, john diane sues honore vernon jeffers, clint smith, jeremy atherton, lynn and anthony visnic. So just to name a few tonight, were excited to honor the outstanding books of 2022 and six categories poetry, criticism, autobiography, biography, nonfiction and fiction. Well also present the john leonard prize for best first book, the notable larkin citation for excellence in reviewing and the ivan sandrock lifetime award for an individual whose work transformed book culture. Last year, we the Toni Morrison award for institution that has done the same. And this year there are two new honors the greg berrios book and translation prize and nbcc Service Award for individual whose work has transformed our organization. Welcome to inaugural nbcc Service Award winner Barbara Hoffert. Welcome to the finalist for the great berios book in translation prize. Welcome to sandra. Winner joy harjo. Welcome leonard finalists. Welcome to morris and winner city lights. Welcome to billiken. Winner Jennifer WilsonJennifer Wilson. And welcome to the finalists and poetry criticism autobiography, biography, nonfiction and fiction. One second at this time, id like to invite all of this years finalists and winners to stand. You all knew what to do. Thank you. Thank you to those of you in attendance tonight, we are so happy you could make the journey and to of you who wanted to be with us but could not. You are missed. Thank you. To those who participate in our virtual finalists reading which premiered last night on youtube, where it remains for your viewing pleasure. This is a program of 1 to 2 minute readings by a vast of the authors and translators honoring tonight. Theres nothing like it. I wholeheartedly encourage you to check it out. Thank you to the brilliant, indefatigable marian winick for coordinating. For coordinating and emceeing virtual finalists, reading thank you to wild ben live for producing this and all of our special Virtual Events in 2021. Youll some more of their excellent work tonight up on the screen earlier today the board met at the office is of the community of literary magazines and presses and online to complete our deliberations. Thank you to clp for hosting us. It was a Battle Royale of book criticism intense in the best way possible. Polly syllabic adjectives were flying fast and furiously and im not like on put down a bull i mean like pulchritude anise. Everybody brought their best to bear and were excited to reveal the results. By the way, if four and a half hours of passionate taste making sounds like a fun time to you, please consider running for the board. We, a 24 person, all volunteer board whose members are traditionally elected to year terms. Thank you to fellow Board Members. Its been an honor to serve with you. Special thanks to the Board Members who will be cycling off after this years awards ceremony. Their willow curry, diego baez, laurie feathers and tara merrigan. So at this time, id like invite the board to stand. One last thing before i go perpetuating a national controversy, passion about reading, criticism and literature. Means we must welcome more people into the practice and the profession. To that end, the nbcc launched its emerging critics fellowship 2017, seeking, identify, nurture and support. Next generation of book critics. Want to recognize this years of ten emerging critics by name. They are lila benitez, james. Kathy chao. Summer ferrer. Ella fox. Martins. Ricard. Ohara. Meal a day. Essence. Stefan. Maisy wilcher gordon and liz wood. Please look for their bylines. If you an assigning editor, please hire them. And now is my delight and my honor. Welcome the amazing Maris Kreizman vp of awards to this evenings program. Thank you so much. Clean up the board this year. I mean, after tonight. So thank you for all. See and thank. So i get to tell you all the fun stuff. There is a reception at 63 5 avenue just up street on 12th. Around and around the. And tickets can be purchased at the door. If you dont have them already. So please Come Celebrate with us. Even more fun if your name is called tonight because youve won an award. Please use either the staircases to come on stage and accept the award and give a brief speech. If you so choose. We wont play you off like its the oscars, but we would love to get out of here by eight. So just keep that in mind. The recipients of awards for which weve already announced winners will get to take home a plaque tonight. All of the others that we voted on today will be sent to winners once they are inscribed after youve accepted your award, please go backstage for a photograph before returning to your seat. Id also like to ask all winners and board to stick around after the ceremony for a group photo. Speaking of photos, thank you to the universally beloved beowulf sheehan who will be taking photos tonight. Thank you to. Cspan. Booktv for being here. Thank interNational Literary properties cosponsor of tonights award reception based in new york and london. Ill invest globally in the intellectual Property Rights to books, plays and other works in to protect, secure and grow their legacy for future generations. By working closely with publishers, agents and authors. Were very proud to partner with you. Thank you. To Sarah Rousseau and Suzanne Williams for sharing their time and expertise to help us publicize the awards. Thank you to p. A. Knitwear for selling books in the lobby tonight. So please bye from them. You remember thats the best way to show your support for these wonderful authors. And now i am delighted to start prizes by introducing the inaugural greg barrios book and translation prize. Good evening, everyone my name is mandana chaffa. And as one of the deputies for the barrios book in translation prize and especially as an immigrant for whom english a second language, it is a remarkable honor to be here to present this award. As many of you know, the barriers book in translation prize is named after a board member, greg berrios, a latino poet, playwright and obviously a book critic who away in 2021. As a board member of the nbcc made an immeasurable impact on our organization. He funded the first balakian book excuse me, the blake prize for book critics. In 2012, he chaired the john leonard Prize Committee, and he also served our first Vice President of diversity and inclusion. He firmly believed that the nbcc should have a prize for literature in translation. And so through this prize, our goal is to highlight the artistic merit of literature in translation and recognize the translators valuable work which expands and enriches American Literary culture by bringing World Literature to english language readers like the leonard prize for best debut, the the barriers is a prize which our membership plays a really Critical Role in determining. Its also an award that is open to work from all genres, and were really immensely proud that the nominees in our inaugural year include books of fiction, nonfiction, memoir, poetry and even graphic novels. Our Committee Read nearly 300 books this year in translation publishing in the United States from 67 countries of origin and 39 source languages. Without brilliance and leadership of our Vice President and my dear friend terry american, who shepherded this prize from a dream to the reality that we have today, we wouldnt be here. Unfortunately, shes not with us tonight. I also want to commend our thoughtful, passionate, committed, long and short Term Community of panelists and voters, many whom are translators themselves. This process wouldnt exist without them either. And i wish i had the time to name them all. But if you go to our website, youll youll be able to see who they are. One of my personal guiding lights, italo, who this year was translated by ian goldstein, wrote translated, is an art. The transfer of a literary text. Whatever its into another language which always requires some type of miracle. Literary translators are those who stick their entire to translate the. So if the written word connects and elevates and i think it does, then books in translation bring the entire world closer. Sharing both the of the human condition as well as the differences. We celebrate and cherish. I know i speak for our entire board and Committee Members that we have been joyously informed entrants formed by the writers and translators of these. The nominees are grapes by andrei kirchhoff, translated by boris garelick from russian published by deep ellum. People girl by scholastic mocha sonya by mark pulitzer from published by archipelago books. Linea negra an essay on pregnancy and earthquakes by yasmina pereira translated Christina Mcsweeney from spanish published by two lines press. The books of jacob by Olga Tokarczuk translated by Jennifer Croft polish published by Riverhead Books books. When sing mountains dance by irina sola translated by marta faye lethem from the catalan published by gray wolf press. And finally, you can be the last leaf by maya abu alhayat, translated by fadi juda from arabic, published by milkweed editions. In the first burials, book and translation prize goes to gray bees by andrei kirchhoff, translated by boris driver from the original russian and published by gk. Now i know that boris is here with us tonight and i am wondering if there is some representative who might want to come and accept the award . No. Okay. So let me just read our citation. Our beloved teacher american wrote ukrainian author andrei scribes translated from russian into english by warsaw. Our look is a subtle, captivating novel about an isolated man living the gray zone between ukraine and the breakaway donetsk region. And this was prior to the 2022 russian invasion thanks to dreadlocks. Translation creeps and offers anglophone readers a nuanced Human Understanding of the cost. The 2014 aggression against ukraine. The novel which kerckhove calls his personal, fell real to the crimea that may never again. Artfully illuminates the tragedy suffered on ukrainian lands while maintaining a broad humanistic focus on the crisis aftermath. Thank you so much. We accept this award on behalf of boris. Hi, im eric banks. I was president. President of this Outstanding Organization back in 2011 and 2012. And its an honor to be back once again on this great evening. And its great to see so many people since it was founded five decades ago. The National Critics circle has depended on the hard, voluntary work of its members, particularly those elected to serve on its board of directors. Yet there is a significant distinction between those whose dedication it possible for the nbcc to get its work done year in, year out, and those special few who through their great commitment have had a truly transform racial effect. When it comes to the aspiration science and accomplishments of the organization. It is in honor of those very rare individuals that the nhbc has created. The nbcc Service Award being given this year for, the first time in recognition. Extraordinary work on behalf of the organization. The level of service the award speaks to puts me in mind of one of Howard Nemerov finest poems. Indeed, one of the greatest two line poems in the history of the english language. Titled bacon and eggs. The chicken contributes, but the pig gives his all. Im glad that got laughter a little worried about the. What an honor it is and a delight it is for me to introduce the inaugural recipient of the nbcc Service Award. This one who truly over many years given her all. Former wnbc president Barbara Hoffert barbara has worn so many different hats at the nbcc that one worries about overlooking a chapter or two here or there. In addition to serving president of the organization in 1997 and 1998, halcyon for the nbcc membership, she has fielded virtually every position in the nbcc lineup from treasurer in her early days on the board to vp for awards a decade ago among the most onerous and burdensome positions in the organization which she executed, with her signature, no sweat, aplomb. It was in that latter capacity as vp for awards that i first got to know. Barbara, who made my own days as nbcc president , so much easier with her effortless management of the awards process from ordering and tracking the mountain of books, the board requested. And this was in the those before pdfs, including last minute, 20 or 30 titles that are more dilatory Board Members invariably cooked up in the waning days of december, which is always a special time to try and reach Book Publishers and to shepherding flock of winners and worthies across the stage. The annual ceremony. My experience is decided not unique. Barbara makes everyone elses shine, often without their being aware of it, and certainly without the public acknowledgment that she has long deserved. Tonight is the opportunity for the nbcc to show its gratitude to publicly acknowledge what a debt the organization owes barbara for her tireless contributions over the those contributions run the gamut from the big to the small. As jane chapati reminded me the other day. They include such unheralded gestures as writing the press releases when john freeman, as nbcc president in the late aughts and easier tonight marshaled support the ambitious nationwide campaign to book reviewing and even to pr