The Library celebrated the 20th anniversary of the New York City Book Awards with an awards presentation and reception on Tuesday, May 3 in the Members' Room. Awards were presented by Ella Foshay, Peter Salwen, Warren Wechsler, Jean Parker Phifer, Barnet Schecter, and James Atlas. Winners Robin Jaffee Frank, Gerard Koeppel, Arthur Browne, Tom Glynn, Vivian Gornick, and Roger Angell accepted awards and spoke briefly about their winning books. Head Librarian Carolyn Waters, New York City Book Awards jury chair Lucienne S. Bloch, and Library trustee Ellen M. Iseman spoke about the history and importance of the awards and of New York City books.

These awards were first conceived in 1994 by Mark Piel, then this institution’s Head Librarian. They were midwived by trustee Henry S.F. Cooper Jr., who wrote, “This seems altogether appropriate for the oldest library in New York...I think Mark should be congratulated for having such a good idea. As in the case of all good ideas, it’s hard to believe nobody thought of it before!” The first announcement of the awards described the ideal winner as “a book of literary or artistic quality about New York City or any aspect of it, past or present, public or private, which evokes the city’s spirit, catches its essence, or brings at least some part of it alive.” The inaugural jury was chaired by Christopher Gray and included Jacques Barzun, Joan K. Davidson, Alfred Kazin, Elizabeth Barlow Rogers, and Wendy Wasserstein. As the first winner, they chose Kenneth T. Jackson’s The Encyclopedia of New York City, published in 1995. At the awards ceremony that year, presenter William J. Dean noted that the book “celebrates the cultural wealth of this great city,” an apt description for all the honorees since then.

Click here for full details on the 2015-2016 winners as well as audio and video recordings of this year's awards ceremony.

Click here for general information about the awards and a list of all winners since 1995-1996.

Photos by Karen Smul

The 2015-2016 New York City Book Awards were generously underwritten by Ellen M. Iseman.