National Book Critics Circle

2025-11-03T22:55:08Z

2600:4040:93A2:E400:1D78:1A6B:E3D:3981: /* Presidents */

{{short description|American nonprofit organization }}
{{for|the award|National Book Critics Circle Award}}

{{Infobox organization
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| abbreviation = NBCC
| formation =  1974
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| founding_location = New York City
| type = [[Nonprofit organization|Nonprofit]]
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| membership = 700+
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| key_people = Heather Scott Partington
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| website = {{URL|https://www.bookcritics.org/}}
}}

The '''National Book Critics Circle''' ('''NBCC''') is an American [[nonprofit organization]] ([[501(c) organization|501(c)(3)]]) with more than 700 members. It is the [[professional association]] of American [[book review]] editors and critics, known primarily for the [[National Book Critics Circle Award]]s, a set of [[literary awards]] presented every March. These are for Criticism,
Fiction, Autobiography, Biography, Nonfiction, Poetry and the [[Gregg Barrios Book in Translation Prize]].<ref>https://www.bookcritics.org/awards/ Retrieved 20 Dec 2024.</ref>

The organization was founded in April 1974 in [[New York City]] by "[[John Leonard (critic)|John Leonard]], [[Nona Balakian]], and Ivan Sandrof intending to extend the Algonquin round table to a national conversation".<ref name=about>National Book Critics Circle ('''NBCC'''): About: [https://www.bookcritics.org/about/ "Thirty-five Years of Quality Writing and Criticism"]. Retrieved 2012-02-02.</ref>

It was formally chartered in October 1974 as a [[New York state]] non-profit corporation, and the Advisory Board voted in November to establish annual literary awards.<ref name=newsletter1975>[http://bookcritics.org/images/uploads/vol1no1march011975.pdf ''The National Book Critics Circle Journal'' 1:1, March 1, 1975] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519124244/http://bookcritics.org/images/uploads/vol1no1march011975.pdf |date=May 19, 2011 }}, NBCC. Retrieved 2012-02-02.</ref>

In the first newsletter three months later, President Ivan Sandrof proclaimed the primary purpose "to improve and maintain the standards of [[literary criticism]] in an era of diminishing and deteriorating values". At that time there were 140 members, with outreach to freelance critics planned for that year.<ref name="newsletter1975" />

NBCC first presented its Awards in January 1976 to books published during 1975 in four categories.<ref name="newsletter1976">[http://bookcritics.org/images/uploads/vol2no1spring1976.pdf ''The National Book Critics Circle Journal'' 2:1, Spring 1976] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519124331/http://bookcritics.org/images/uploads/vol2no1spring1976.pdf |date=2011-05-19 }}, NBCC. Retrieved 2012-02-02.</ref>

Only active review editors and reviewers may be voting members; they elect the 24 Directors who formally make nominations and alone make final selections each year.<ref name="FAQ" /><ref name="members">[https://www.bookcritics.org/membership/ "Membership"] (no date), NBCC. Retrieved 2012-02-02.</ref>

A fifth award category for books (Autobiography/Biography) was added for 1983 and divided in two for 2005. Since 2005, there have been eight awards. Six National Book Critics Circle Awards recognize "best books" published in the United States during the preceding year in six categories: fiction, nonfiction, autobiography, biography, criticism, and poetry.<ref name="FAQ">[http://www.bookcritics.org/faqs "Frequently Asked Questions"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140712230058/http://bookcritics.org/faqs/ |date=2014-07-12 }} (no date), NBCC. Retrieved 2012-02-02.</ref>
Annually "the most accomplished reviewer" among its members is recognized by the [[National Book Critics Circle Award#Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing|Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing]] (from 1991).

The NBCC also recognizes no more than one person or organization for "exceptional contributions to books" with the [[National Book Critics Circle Award#Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award|Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award]] (from 1981 under more than one name).All eight awards are officially dated in the preceding year.<ref name="FAQ" />

In 2017, the NBCC established the Emerging Critics Fellowship which provides early career literary critics with mentorships and professional development opportunities.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Varno |first=David |date=2022-06-17 |title=A New Class of Emerging Critics |url=https://www.bookcritics.org/2022/06/17/a-new-class-of-emerging-critics/ |access-date=2025-07-20 |website=National Book Critics Circle |language=en-US}}</ref>

As a professional association, NBCC also works to improve the quality of reviews and provides services to its members.<ref name=about /><ref name=newsletter1975 /><ref name=members />

== Controversies ==
In 2020, more than half of the 24 board members resigned over conflicting views on how to address perceived racial disparities both on the board, and within the industry they represent. This demonstrative revolt has also been attributed to breaches in confidentiality stemming from leaked emails, and the dismissive, antagonistic communication style of a long-standing board member, [[Carlin Romano]], whom half the board members describe as a bully.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vulture.com/2020/06/national-book-critics-circle-resignations.html |title=The National Book Critics Circle Has Imploded |work=Vulture |date=June 16, 2020 |access-date= June 17, 2020}}</ref> Overall, the mass resignations amount to a controversy seen as part of an industry-wide reckoning concerning the lack of diversity in publishing <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/83592-fallout-continues-at-nbcc.html |title=NBCC Board Gutted as Fallout Over Leaked Emails, Race Issues Widens |work=Publishers Weekly |author=John Maher |date=June 15, 2020 |access-date=June 15, 2020}}</ref> and literary awards.

== First Board of Directors (1975) ==
{{colbegin}}
* '''President''': Ivan Sandrof, ''The Worcester Telegram-Gazette''
* '''Vice President''': Digby Diehl, ''Los Angeles Times''
* '''Secretary''': Nona Balakian, ''The New York Times Book Review''
* '''Treasurer''': Susan Heath, ''The Saturday Review''
* Barbara A. Bannon, ''Publishers Weekly''
* John Barkham, ''John Barkham Reviews''
* Alvin Beam, ''Cleveland Plain Dealer''
{{colend}}
{{colbegin}}
* Alice Cromie, Freelance Critic
* Martha Duffy, ''Time''
* Eliot Fremont-Smith, ''The Village Voice''
* Elizabeth Hardwick, ''New York Review of Books''
* Herbert A. Kenny, ''Freelance Critic''
* John Leonard, ''The New York Times Book Review''
* Thorpe Menn, ''The Kansas City Star''
* Stanton Peckham, ''Denver Post''
* Peter S. Prescott, Newsweek
* Larry Swindell, ''Philadelphia Inquirer''
* Jonathan Yardley, ''Miami Herald''
{{colend}}

== Presidents ==
[[File:Jane Ciabattari Eric Banks 2011 NBCC Awards.JPG|thumb|NBCC past president Jane Ciabattari and then-current president Eric Banks at the 2011 [[National Book Critics Circle Award|Awards]], March 2012.]]
* 1974–1976: Ivan Sandrof, ''[[Telegram & Gazette|Worcester Telegram-Gazette]]''
* 1976–1982: Eliot Fremont-Smith, ''[[The Village Voice|Village Voice]]''
* 1982–1984: [[Richard Locke (critic)|Richard Locke]], ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]''
* 1984–1986: Brigitte Weeks, ''[[The Washington Post Book World]]''
* 1986–1990: Nina King, ''[[Newsday]]''
* 1990–1992: [[Jack Miles]], ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''
* 1992–1994: Herbert Liebowitz, ''Parnassus''
* 1994–1996: [[Carlin Romano]], ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer|Philadelphia Inquirer]]''
* 1996–1998: Art Winslow, ''[[The Nation]]''
* 1998–2000: Barbara Hoffert, ''[[Library Journal]]''
* 2001–2004: Elizabeth Taylor, ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''
* 2004–2006: Rebecca T. Miller, ''[[Library Journal]]''
* 2006–2008: [[John Freeman (author)|John Freeman]], Freelance Critic
* 2008–2011: Jane Ciabattari, Freelance Critic
* 2011–2013: Eric Banks, ''[[Bookforum]]''
* 2013–2015: Laurie Muchnick, ''[[Bloomberg News]]''
* 2015–2017: Tom Beer, ''[[Newsday]]''
* 2017–2019: Kate Tuttle, ''[[The Boston Globe|Boston Globe]]''
* 2019–2020: Laurie Hertzel, ''[[Minneapolis Star Tribune]]''
* 2020-2020: Jane Ciabattari, Freelance Critic (acting)
* 2020–2022: David Varno, ''[[Publishers Weekly]]''
* 2022–2023: Megan Labrise, ''[[Kirkus Reviews|Kirkus]]''
* 2023-2025: Heather Scott Partington, Freelance Critic
* 2025-present: Adam Dalva, Freelance Critic

== Service Award Winners ==

* 2022: Barbara Hoffert, former NBCC Vice President
* 2023: Marion Winik, former NBCC Treasurer
* 2024: Lori Lynn Turner, Associate Director of The New School Creative Writing Program

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{official|https://www.bookcritics.org/}}
*[http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-01-22/how-national-book-critics-circle-chooses-its-awards/full/ How National Book Critics Circle Chooses Its Awards], by NBCC President Jane Ciabattari, ''[[The Daily Beast]]'', January 22, 2011.

[[Category:Literary criticism]]
[[Category:Critics associations]]
[[Category:Professional associations based in the United States]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1974]]
[[Category:501(c)(3) organizations]]
[[Category:1974 establishments in New York City]]
[[Category:Algonquin Round Table]]
[[Category:National Book Critics Circle|*]]

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National Book Critics Circle