Thirty-five Years of Quality Writing and Criticism

Mission Statement: The National Book Critics Circle honors outstanding writing and fosters a national conversation about reading, criticism and literature.

History. The National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) was founded in April 1974 at the Algonquin in New York City, with founding members John Leonard, Nona Balakian, and Ivan Sandrof intending to extend the Algonquin round table to a national conversation. The NBCC gained 501 c 3 status in October 2006, and in 2010 received a first NEA Grant to support expansion of the website and literary blog, Critical Mass. The NBCC’s  tax-exempt status means anything you care to give us as a gift is now a tax deduction. (Just click on the Donate button.)

NBCC Awards: The National Book Critics Circle awards honor the best literature published in English in six categories—autobiography, biography, criticism, fiction, nonfiction and poetry. These are the only awards chosen by the critics themselves. Each year the NBCC also honors a working critic with the Balakian award and confers the Sandrof lifetime achievement award (recent honorees: Joyce Carol Oates, PEN American Center, Bill Henderson of Pushcart Press, Lawrence Ferlinghetti). The NBCC awards finalists’ reading and NBCC awards ceremony, presented annually in March, bring together authors, reviewers, publishing people and passionate readers for a celebration of the best of each year’s literary offerings. For more information, click on “Awards.”

Recent activities. In recent years, the NBCC has responded to a historic transformation of reading and reviewing. The ongoing collapse of the newspaper industry, and of print, in general, in favor of online options, has transformed the work of book reviewers. Today’s NBCC members are more likely to be free lancers than staff critics or book editors, although our membership and board include both. NBCC members capitalize on book coverage online, adding blogs, podcasts, Facebook, Twitter and other social networking options while maintaining the quality that makes them trusted voices for readers. In 2007 the NBCC launched a “Campaign to Save Book Reviewing” featuring blog posts by 126 concerned writers, interviews with book editors, newspapers editors and owners, and panel discussions across the country. In the years since, the NBCC has provided information, news, a creative platform to reviewers, editors, publishers, and an ongoing conversation with the reading public to about the constantly morphing state of literature, reading and reviewing. 

Online resource center. The NBCC’s website offers an online resource center.  A password-protected Wiki gives NBCC members up-to-date information on freelancing markets throughout the US.  The website lists all past NBCC winners and finalists from 1975 to the present and downloadable pdf of the 2007 Campaign to Save Book Reviewing. Members also have access to downloadable newsletters from 1975 to the present. 

Critical Mass, the NBCC literary blog, launched in April 2006, was termed “the nation’s premier literary blog” by the Association of American Publishers, who awarded the NBCC the annual 2008 AAP Honors award for significant achievements. Former NBCC president John Freeman and the NBCC were cited by Publishers Weekly in 2007 for having “helped the industry keep pace with change through innovation, commitment, and bright, necessary ideas.” In 2010 the National Endowment for the Arts honored the NBCC with a grant for expanding its website, blog, and programs.

Critical Mass includes regular series such as these: 1) The Critical Library, five essential books listed by critics; 2) 30 Books in 30 Days, reviews of each year’s awards finalists; 3) Conversations with Literary Websites, interviews with the top online editors; ) 4) Independent Press Spotlight, interviews with authors, editors, publishers; 5) The Next Decade in Book Culture, guest posts from hundreds of reviewers and readers speculating about all possibilities for books, reading and reviewing, including effects of technology on how we read; 6) In Retrospect, reviews of past NBCC award winners/finalists by today’s critics;; plus industry news, interviews, points of view, and guest posts,  plus podcasts and videocasts of NBCC awards events and programs. 

NBCC Audience. The NBCC serves nearly 600 member critics, authors, literary bloggers, book publishing personnel, and student members, providing free daily online content on the rapidly evolving worlds of book reviewing, book publishing, and book culture. The NBCC reaches a broad-based reading public through the NBCC website/blog and has attracted tens of thousands to  free public events nationwide, often with partners (AWP, PEN American Center, WNYC/Greene Performance Space,  the New School, the Center for Fiction, Housing Works,  Gemini Ink in San Antonio, Tx, Minneapolis Public Library, City Lights Books in San Francisco, Prairie Lights in Iowa City, and dozens of others.)