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Los Angeles Times
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times Announces Winners of 45th Annual Book Prizes
The Los Angeles Times tonight announced the winners of the 45th annual Book Prizes in a ceremony at USC's Bovard Auditorium. The Times' Book Prizes recognize outstanding literary achievements and celebrate the highest quality of writing from authors at all stages of their careers. Winners were announced in 13 categories for works published last year. Additionally, award-winning author Pico Iyer was honored with the Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement, and Amanda Gorman received the Innovator's Award for her work promoting literacy, empowering youth and raising awareness on important issues. A complete list of this year's Book Prizes winners follows. 2024 Book Prizes Winners For more information about the Book Prizes, including the complete list of 2024 finalists and past winners, and eligibility and judging information, go to The Book Prizes ceremony is a prologue to the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, the nation's largest literary festival, which will bring together more than 650 writers, experts and storytellers, hundreds of exhibitors and an estimated 155,000 attendees. The 30th annual Festival of Books is presented in association with USC. Festival news and updates are available on the event website and Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok profiles (#bookfest).
Los Angeles Times
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times Announces Lineup for the 30th Annual Festival of Books
The Los Angeles Times today revealed the lineup for the 30th annual Festival of Books, taking place April 26-27 at the University of Southern California. The weekend festival will bring together more than 550 writers, experts and storytellers, and hundreds of exhibitors on the university campus. Participants scheduled to appear include Stacey Abrams, Hannah Berner, Big Sean, Blippi, Matt Bomer, Hannah Brown, Roy Choi, Jon M. Chu, Marcia Clark, Tom Colicchio, Robert Crais, Jason De León, Paige DeSorbo, Maureen Dowd, Griffin Dunne, Percival Everett, Josh Gad, Amanda Gorman, Max Greenfield, Jasmine Guillory, Chelsea Handler, E.A. Hanks, Mamrie Hart, Robyn Hitchcock, Mellody Hobson, Ibram X. Kendi, Rachel Khong, Kristen Kish, TJ Klune, Amanda Knox, Rachel Kushner, Jonathan Lethem, Joanna 'JoJo' Levesque, Jon Lovett, Ivan McCombs, Jim O'Heir, Patrick Renna, Raegan Revord, Krysten Ritter, Veronica Roth, Paul Scheer, Amy L. Schneider, V.E. Schwab, Harry Shum Jr., Jenny Slate, Tika Sumpter, Christina Tosi, Amor Towles, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Wilmer Valderrama, Bruce Vilanch, Gretchen Whitmer, Brooke Williamson, Rebecca Yarros and many more. The weekend festival will feature: To kick off the literary weekend, on the evening of Friday, April 25, The Times will host the 45th annual Book Prizes at USC's Bovard Auditorium. The ceremony will honor award-winning author Pico Iyer with the Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement, Amanda Gorman with the Innovator's Award and Emily Witt with the Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose. The Book Prizes recognize 61 exceptional works in 13 categories, including achievement in audiobook production, presented by Audible. The complete list of finalists and further information, including ticket packages, is available at The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is presented in association with USC. General admission to the festival is free. Friend of the Festival packages (advance ticket packages), which include reservations for indoor conversations, weekend parking and festival merchandise, are available for purchase now. Tickets for the Ideas Exchange with Amanda Gorman are on sale now; tickets for the conversation with Rebecca Yarros will go on sale Friday, March 14. Individual conversation tickets will be available April 20. Festival news and updates are available on the event website and Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok profiles (#bookfest).
Los Angeles Times
19-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times Book Prizes to Honor Pico Iyer and Amanda Gorman
The Los Angeles Times today announced the finalists and honorees for its 45th annual Book Prizes. Pico Iyer will receive the Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement and Amanda Gorman will be honored with the Innovator's Award. Additionally, Emily Witt will be presented with the Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose. The Book Prizes recognize 61 exceptional works in 13 categories celebrating the highest quality of writing from authors at all stages of their careers. Winners will be announced in a ceremony on Friday, April 25 at USC's Bovard Auditorium, on the eve of the 30th annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, which will take place the weekend of April 26-27. Award-winning writer Pico Iyer is this year's honoree for the Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement, which recognizes a writer with a substantial connection to the American West. Iyer is the author of more than a dozen books on subjects ranging from the Dalai Lama to globalism. His recent memoir, 'Aflame: Learning from Silence,' explores the power of calm as Iyer recalls his retreats at a monastery in Big Sur, Calif., where he sought solace from changes and struggles in life, including when a family home in Santa Barbara burned down. 'Pico Iyer is a treasure,' said Times Associate Director of Events and Book Prizes Administrator Ann Binney. 'While he travels the world, he always finds his way back to California. I have known Pico for many years and it is such an honor to recognize him with the Robert Kirsch award. His beautiful words sharing his own experience of loss and recovery offer us welcome comfort, especially during this time as we recover from our recent devastating wildfires.' Some of Iyer's acclaimed work includes 'The Half Known Life,' 'Video Night in Kathmandu,' 'The Lady and the Monk,' 'The Global Soul,' 'The Open Road' and 'The Art of Stillness.' He contributes regularly to countless publications, has received numerous accolades throughout his career and has given multiple TED talks that have together drawn more than 11 million viewers. The Innovator's Award, which spotlights efforts to bring books, publishing and storytelling into the future, will be presented to Amanda Gorman. An award-winning writer and activist, and the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, Gorman has used her platform to raise awareness on a host of issues from climate change and social justice to literacy. She speaks out against book bans and highlights the importance of representation and education, among other causes. Gorman is the founder and executive director of One Pen One Page, an organization that promotes literacy through free creative writing programs for underserved youth. Her latest title, 'Girls on the Rise,' is a picture book celebrating the power of girls, with illustrations by Loveis Wise. The poem highlights how girls have shaped history and why they should march boldly into the future. 'Amanda Gorman is an eloquent voice for the next generation. Her skillful use of poetry to motivate, inspire and enact social change is incredibly powerful,' said Times Executive Editor Terry Tang. 'We are thrilled to be honoring Gorman with this year's Innovator's Award and to shine a light on the work she has done – and continues to do – in promoting literacy to empower the youth to get involved.' Journalist Emily Witt is the winner of the Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose for 'Health and Safety: A Breakdown,' which chronicles her experience with psychedelics and Brooklyn's underground party scene during the first Trump presidency. The memoir offers Witt's life as a lens into America from 2016 to 2020. Sponsored by the Christopher Isherwood Foundation, the award honors exceptional work and encompasses fiction, travel writing, memoir and diary. 'Emily Witt exposes a country in the throes of ongoing trauma in a coming-of-age memoir — keenly observed, unapologetically told — that feels scarily emblematic of our life and times,' commented the judges of the Isherwood Prize. The Book Prizes recognize titles in the following categories: audiobooks (presented by Audible), autobiographical prose (the Christopher Isherwood Prize), biography, current interest, fiction, first fiction (the Art Seidenbaum Award), graphic novel/comics, history, mystery/thriller, poetry, science fiction, science and technology, and young adult literature. Judging panels of writers who specialize in each genre select finalists and winners. For more information about the Book Prizes, including the complete list of 2024 finalists and past winners; eligibility and judging information; and how to make a tax-deductible donation in support of the annual literary awards, go to Tickets to attend the Book Prizes ceremony, as well as Festival of Books VIP packages, are on sale now. The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is presented in association with USC. Festival news and updates are available on the event website and Facebook, Twitter and Instagram profiles (#bookfest).
Los Angeles Times
19-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Andrew Garfield, Percival Everett and Attica Locke among L.A. Times Book Prize finalists
The finalists for the 45th Los Angeles Times Book Prizes were announced Wednesday morning, recognizing a group of celebrated writers. Actor Andrew Garfield, novelist Percival Everett and author, screenwriter and TV producer Attica Locke are among the 61 nominees across more than a dozen categories honoring literary achievement. Garfield is one of the finalists, alongside actor Matt Bomer, in the audiobook production category, which is being given in collaboration with Audible and spotlights performance, production and innovation in storytelling. The category was first introduced last year. Garfield is recognized alongside several actors, including Cynthia Erivo, Andrew Scott and Tom Hardy, for lending their talents to Audible's original adaptation 'George Orwell's 1984.' Bomer is up for his work narrating James Baldwin's 'Giovanni's Room.' Among the dozens of finalists are the writers behind some of the most talked-about books of 2024, including author and activist Ta-Nehisi Coates. Journalist and author Jesse Katz's 'The Rent Collectors: Exploitation, Murder, and Redemption in Immigrant LA' is also up in the current interest category. Filmmaker and writer Miranda July, who wrote and directed 'Kajillionaire,' is among the fiction finalists for 'All Fours.' 'Pemi Aguda, Cynthia Carr, Taiyo Matsumoto, Andrea Freeman, Cindy Juyoung Ok, Lev Grossman, Zoë Schlanger and K.A. Cobell are also finalists. The awards ceremony, which will take place April 25 at USC's Bovard Auditorium ahead of the 30th Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, also includes a number of honorees in special categories. Poet Amanda Gorman will be honored with the Innovator's Award recognizing her work to 'bring books, publishing and storytelling into the future.' The former Los Angeles youth poet laureate rose to fame when she read her stirring poem 'The Hill We Climb' at President Biden's inauguration and has since used her voice to highlight important issues including climate change, social justice and literacy. 'Amanda Gorman is an eloquent voice for the next generation. Her skillful use of poetry to motivate, inspire and enact social change is incredibly powerful,' Times Executive Editor Terry Tang said in a news release Wednesday. 'We are thrilled to be honoring Gorman with this year's Innovator's Award and to shine a light on the work she has done — and continues to do — in promoting literacy to empower the youth to get involved.' Pico Iyer, the renowned author of 'The Art of Stillness,' will receive the Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement, which celebrates a writer with a substantial connection to the American West. Iyer's latest work, 'Aflame: Learning From Silence,' is a reflection on the power of meditation, even through stressful life events, including his California home burning down decades ago. 'Pico Iyer is a treasure,' said Ann Binney, Times associate director of events and book prizes administrator. 'While he travels the world, he always finds his way back to California. I have known Pico for many years, and it is such an honor to recognize him with the Robert Kirsch Award. His beautiful words sharing his own experience of loss and recovery offer us welcome comfort, especially during this time as we recover from our recent devastating wildfires.' The Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose will go to Emily Witt for 'Health and Safety: A Breakdown,' a bestselling memoir about Witt's exploration with psychedelic substances and the New York City dance-club scene. It offers a sharp and timely examination of life in America during Donald Trump's first presidential term. Witt is also an investigative journalist and has previously written 'Future Sex,' a deep dive into modern dating and sexuality. 'Emily Witt exposes a country in the throes of ongoing trauma in a coming-of-age memoir — keenly observed, unapologetically told — that feels scarily emblematic of our life and times,' the judges of the Isherwood Prize said in a statement. The award, which is sponsored by the Christopher Isherwood Foundation, honors exceptional work and encompasses fiction, travel writing, memoir and diary. The Book Prizes recognize titles in the following categories: audiobooks, autobiographical prose (the Christopher Isherwood Prize), biography, current interest, fiction, first fiction (the Art Seidenbaum Award), graphic novel/comics, history, mystery/thriller, poetry, science fiction, science and technology and young adult literature. Finalists and winners are selected by panels of writers who specialize in each genre. For more information about the Book Prizes, including the complete list of 2024 finalists, visit Pico Iyer, 'Aflame: Learning From Silence' Emily Witt, 'Health and Safety: A Breakdown' Amanda Gorman Jiaming Tang, 'Cinema Love: A Novel' 'Pemi Aguda, 'Ghostroots: Stories' Joseph Earl Thomas, 'God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer: A Novel' Jessica Elisheva Emerson, 'Olive Days: A Novel' Julian Zabalbeascoa, 'What We Tried to Bury Grows Here' Matt Bomer (narrator), Kelly Gildea (director, co-producer), Lauren Klein (producer); 'Giovanni's Room: A Novel' Narrators: Clare Brown, Ayanna Dookie, Korey Jackson, Andrea Jones-Sojola, Brittany Pressley, Emana Rachelle, Malika Samuel, Heather Alicia Simms, Diana Bustelo, Tyla Collier, Alejandra Reynoso, David Sadzin, André Santana, Shaun Taylor-Corbett; Producer: Allison Light; 'New Nigeria County' Narrators: Andrew Garfield, Cynthia Erivo, Andrew Scott, Tom Hardy, Chukwudi Iwuji, Romesh Ranganathan, Natasia Demetriou, Francesca Mills, Alex Lawther, Katie Leung; Producers: Chris Jones, Mariele Runacre-Temple, Robin Morgan-Bentley, Nathan Freeman; 'George Orwell's 1984: An Audible Original adaptation' Dominic Hoffman (narrator), Linda Korn (producer); 'James: A Novel' Michele Norris With a Full Cast (narrator), Mike Noble (producer); 'Our Hidden Conversations: What Americans Really Think About Race and Identity' Laura Beers, 'Orwell's Ghosts: Wisdom and Warnings for the Twenty-First Century' Cynthia Carr, 'Candy Darling: Dreamer, Icon, Superstar' Alexis Pauline Gumbs, 'Survival Is a Promise: The Eternal Life of Audre Lorde' Pamela D. Toler, 'The Dragon From Chicago: The Untold Story of An American Reporter in Nazi Germany' Jessica Goudeau, 'We Were Illegal: Uncovering a Texas Family's Mythmaking and Migration' Jonathan Blitzer, 'Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis' Ta-Nehisi Coates, 'The Message' Jesse Katz, 'The Rent Collectors: Exploitation, Murder, and Redemption in Immigrant LA' Robin Wall Kimmerer, 'The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World' Wright Thompson, 'The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi' Rita Bullwinkel, 'Headshot: A Novel' Jennine Capó Crucet, 'Say Hello to My Little Friend: A Novel' Percival Everett, 'James: A Novel' Yuri Herrera translated by Lisa Dillman, 'Season of the Swamp: A Novel' Miranda July, 'All Fours: A Novel' Kris Bertin and Alexander Forbes, 'Hobtown Mystery Stories Vol. 2: The Cursed Hermit' Taiyo Matsumoto, 'Tokyo These Days, Vol. 1' Bhanu Pratap, 'Cutting Season' Miroslav Sekulic-Struja translated by Jenna Allen, 'Petar & Liza' Ram V and Filipe Andrade, 'Rare Flavours' Andrea Freeman, 'Ruin Their Crops on the Ground: The Politics of Food in the United States, From the Trail of Tears to School Lunch' Andrew W. Kahrl, 'The Black Tax: 150 Years of Theft, Exploitation, and Dispossession in America' Aaron Robertson, 'The Black Utopians: Searching for Paradise and the Promised Land in America' Joseph M. Thompson, 'Cold War Country: How Nashville's Music Row and the Pentagon Created the Sound of American Patriotism' Michael Waters, 'The Other Olympians: Fascism, Queerness, and the Making of Modern Sports' Christopher Bollen, 'Havoc: A Novel' Michael Connelly, 'The Waiting: A Ballard and Bosch Novel' Attica Locke, 'Guide Me Home: A Highway 59 Novel' Liz Moore, 'The God of the Woods: A Novel' Danielle Trussoni, 'The Puzzle Box: A Novel' Remica Bingham-Risher, 'Room Swept Home' Andrea Cohen, 'The Sorrow Apartments' Cindy Juyoung Ok, 'Ward Toward' Pam Rehm, 'Inner Verses' Alison C. Rollins, 'Black Bell' Jedediah Berry, 'The Naming Song' Lev Grossman, 'The Bright Sword: A Novel of King Arthur' Kelly Link, 'The Book of Love' Jeff VanderMeer, 'Absolution: A Southern Reach Novel' Nghi Vo, 'The City in Glass' Rebecca Boyle, 'Our Moon: How Earth's Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are' Ferris Jabr, 'Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Life' Daniel Lewis, 'Twelve Trees: The Deep Roots of Our Future' Kyne Santos, 'Math in Drag' Zoë Schlanger, 'The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth' Traci Chee, 'Kindling' K.A. Cobell, 'Looking for Smoke' Safia Elhillo, 'Bright Red Fruit' Carolina Ixta, 'Shut Up, This Is Serious' Kim Johnson, 'The Color of a Lie'
