New York Public Library Selects All-Woman Finalists for Annual Young Lions Fiction Award

The all-female list—the first in Library history—will be presented during June 9th event 

New York, NY—The New York Public Library has announced the finalists for the sixteenth annual Young Lions Fiction Award, honoring the works of five dynamic, young authors. The winning writer will be awarded a $10,000 prize on June 9, 2016 at 7pm during a ceremony held in the Celeste Bartos Forum of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street. Actor Vincent Piazza will serve as host and presenter; actresses Cobie Smulders and Nikki M. James will also serve as presenters.

The finalists for 2016 Young Lions Fiction Award are:

Angela Flournoy, The Turner House

Amelia Gray, Gutshot

Alexandra Kleeman, You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine

Helen Phillips, The Beautiful Bureaucrat

Kirstin Valdez Quade, Night at the Fiestas

 

Founded by actor Ethan Hawke in 2001, The Young Lions Fiction Award is given annually to an American writer age 35 or younger for either a novel or collection of short stories.  Each year, five young fiction writers are selected as finalists by a reading committee of writers, editors, and librarians. A panel of award judges, including writer Molly Antopol; poet, novelist and current New York Public Library Cullman Center Fellow Alejandro Zambra; and acclaimed writer and former Cullman Fellow Joseph O'Neill will select the winner of this year’s $10,000 prize. Antopol was last year’s winner for her short story collection, The Unamericans.

Past winners of the Young Lions Fiction Award include: Molly Antopol, The Unamericans; Paul Yoon,  Snow Hunters; Claire Vaye Watkins, Battleborn; Karen Russell, Swamplandia; Adam Levin, The Instructions; Wells Tower, Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned; Salvatore Scibona, The End; Ron Currie, Jr., God is Dead; Olga Grushin, The Dream Life of Sukhanov; Uzodinma Iweala, Beasts of No Nation; Andrew Sean Greer, The Confessions of Max Tivoli; Monique Truong, Book of Salt; Anthony Doerr, The Shell Collector; Jonathan Safran Foer, Everything is Illuminated; Colson Whitehead, John Henry Days; and Mark Z. Danielewski, House of Leaves.

Media Contact: Adenike Olanrewaju: 212-592-7008 | adenikeolanrewaju@nypl.org

###

About the Young Lions

The Young Lions is a membership group for New Yorkers in their 20s and 30s who are committed to supporting the work of the Library. Each season, members enjoy exclusive events that feature young writers and leaders in the arts, politics, business, law, and the media.  Through presenting dynamic events and contributing to the General Book Fund, the Young Lions are integral to the life of the Library and its future. Information about the Young Lions group, including events and forums, is available online at www.nypl.org/joinyl or phone 212-930-0885.

About The New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award

The New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award is a $10,000 prize awarded each spring to a writer age 35 or younger for a novel or a collection of short stories. Established in 2001, this annual award recognizes the work of young authors and celebrates their accomplishments publicly, making a difference in their lives as they continue to build their careers. The Young Lions Fiction Award was founded by Ethan Hawke, Jennifer Rudolph Walsh, Rick Moody, and Hannah McFarland. The Award is made possible by an endowment created with generous gifts from Russell Abrams, Nina Collins, Hannah and Gavin McFarland, Ethan Hawke, Stephan Loewentheil, Rick Moody, Andrea Olshan and Jennifer Rudolph Walsh.