Founded in 1996, the New York City Book Awards honor books of literary quality or historical importance that, in the opinion of the selection committee, evoke the spirit or enhance appreciation of New York City. As part of the Book Awards, the Library also presents the Hornblower Award to an excellent New York City-related book by a first-time author.

The Library is proud to announce the winners of the 2014-2015 New York City Book Awards:

Award for Natural History
Ted Steinberg, Gotham Unbound: The Ecological History of Greater New York (Simon & Schuster)

Award for Biography/Memoir
Thomas Beller, J.D. Salinger: The Escape Artist (New Harvest)

Award for Fiction
Atticus Lish, Preparation for the Next Life (Tyrant Books)

Hornblower Award for a First Book
Catherine McNeur, Taming Manhattan: Environmental Battles in the Antebellum City (Harvard University Press)

Special Citation of Merit
Peter Pennoyer, Anne Walker, and Jonathan Wallen for Their Series of Books About New York Architecture

• The Architecture of Delano & Aldrich (W.W. Norton, 2003)
• The Architecture of Warren & Wetmore (W.W. Norton, 2006)
• The Architecture of Grosvenor Atterbury (W.W. Norton, 2009)
• New York Transformed: The Architecture of Cross and Cross (Monacelli Press, 2014)

The winning authors and their publishers will be honored at a ceremony on May 4 at 6:00 PM. Library members and their guests are cordially invited. Advance registration is required. Click here for more information on the ceremony.

The 2014-2015 New York City Book Awards are generously underwritten by Ellen M. Iseman.