On Wednesday evening, November 14, members of the book publishing community gathered at Cipriani Wall Street in lower Manhattan for the 69th National Book Awards. Our photographer caught up with the six finalists for the Young People’s Literature prize, along with their editors, and was also on hand to capture the award announcement. (Click here to see our coverage of winner Elizabeth Acevedo’s acceptance speech.) All photos © 2018 Nancy Crampton.
Leslie Connor (l.), finalist for The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle, and her editor, Katherine Tegen.
The team behind The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge: (from l.) art director Amy Berniker, authors Eugene Yelchin and M.T. Anderson, and editor Liz Bicknell.
Editor Andrea Davis Pinkney and Christopher Paul Curtis, finalist for The Journey of Little Charlie.
Jarrett J. Krosoczka (l.), finalist for Hey, Kiddo, and editor David Levithan.
(From l.): editor Rosemary Brosnan; this year’s winner, Elizabeth Acevedo; and her agent, Ammi-Joan Paquette.
Robin Benway (l.), chair of this year’s judges, presenting Acevedo with her award.
Acevedo thanked her editor, her agent, and her family during her acceptance speech, as well as her readers, “who time and again remind me why I took this leap. Every single time I meet a reader who looks at me and says, ‘I have never seen my story until I read yours,’ I am reminded of why this matters.”
