Save these Dates: National Book Critics Circle Events Coming up in 2009:

by Jane Ciabattari | Dec-31-2008

January 23, 2009, 7 pm Housing Works Bookstore Café, 126 Crosby between Houston and Prince, New York City. Poetry in translation panel: Has the US Lost Touch with World Literature?

Panelists Esther Allen, translator, former co-director of PEN World Voices, author of International PEN report on Translation and Globalization; Yvette Chrisianse, South African poet, novelist, professor; Elizabeth Macklin, poet, translator from Basque of Uribe; Jill Schoolman, Director of Archipelago Books; Karen Emmerich, translator of NBCC award finalist Miltos Sachtouris, among other Greek writers. Moderator: NBCC board member and poet Kevin Prufer (“National Anthem”), editor of Pleiades and coeditor of “New European Poets” (Graywolf).

January 24, 2009, 7 pm, Housing Works Bookstore Cafe. Live announcement of National Book Critics Circle Awards finalists, with announcers Sam Anderson, winner of 2007 Balakian award; Bill Henderson of Pushcart Press, winner of the Sandrof lifetime achievement award: Jayne Anne Phillips, NBCC Fiction award finalist;Mary Jo Bang, winner of the 2007 poetry award; Harriet Washington, winner of the 2007 nonfiction award; Blake Bailey, NBCC finalist in biography; Alex Ross, winner of the 2007 criticism award; Joshua Clark, finalist for the 2007 autobiography award. Hosted by NBCC President Jane Ciabattari and the NBCC Board.

February 13, 2009, 3 pm. Hilton Chicago Ballroom.  National Book Critics Circle’s Fiction Winners/Finalists reading at the Chicago AWP conference, with 2004 NBCC Awards Fiction Winner Marilynne Robinson (“Gilead”), author of “Home;” 2002 NBCC Awards Fiction Finalist Aleksandar Hemon (“Nowhere Man”), author of “The Lazarus Project,” and 1988 NBCC Awards Fiction Winner (for “The Middleman and Other Stories”) Bharati Mukherjee,  author of “The Tree Bride.” Welcome by Elizabeth Taylor, literary editor, the Chicago Tribune; Moderator: Jane Ciabattari, NBCC president. (Must be registered at the AWP to attend.)

March 11, 2009, 6 pm.. National Book Critics Circle Awards Finalists Reading, The New School, 66 W. 12th St New York, NY. Reading by finalists for the NBCC awards in autobiography, biography, criticism, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. The event is free and open to the public.

March 12, 2009. The Annual National Book Critics Circle Awards Announcements. The announcement of NBCC award winners will take place at 6:00 p.m. in The New School University’s Tishman Auditorium, 66 W. 12th St., New York City. The event is free and open to the public. A reception will follow the awards ceremony. Tickets are $45 and available via cash or check at the door.