More than 600 publishing industry members turned out for last week's first Quill Book Awards, in which Jon Stewart and J.K. Rowling walked away with two prizes each, with Rowling's Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince voted the book of the year by the public. Potter also took top honors in the children's chapter book/ middle grade category, while Stewart's America (the Book) won in the humor category as well as in audio. (For pictures from the event, please click here.)
Stewart kicked off the evening with a few gentle shots at the Quills, noting that it took a long time to combine the glamour of literature with the gravitas of an awards show. He even had advice for first-time authors: "Get your own TV show." Comedian Robert Klein was also on hand, bemoaning the fact that now that he is finally a published author (The Amorous Busboy of Decatur Avenue: A Child of the Fifties Looks Back), "people have stopped reading."
Among the more notable acceptance speeches was that of Deepak Chopra, who won for Peace Is the Way in religion/spirituality. Chopra thanked Oprah for introducing him to the American public and revealed he had asked the talk show star to marry him; that way she would be Oprah Chopra. Liz Tuccillo, in accepting the award for He's Just Not That into You in the health/self-improvement category, thanked "all the crappy men" that made writing the book possible.
Winners in some of the other major categories included Sue Monk Kidd in general fiction for The Mermaid Chair and Elizabeth Kostova for The Historian as debut author of the year. David McCullough's 1776 took the prize in the history/ current events/politics category and Bob Dylan's Chronicles in the memoir category.
Other winners were Shel Silverstein in children's illustrated book for Runny Babbit; Ann Brashares for Girls in Pants in young adult/teen; Neil Gaiman, Andy Kubert and Richard Isanove for Marvel 1602 Volume Iin graphic novel; Janet Evanovich for Eleven on Top in mystery/suspense/thriller; Langston Hughes for Let America Be America Again in poetry; Debbie Macomber for 44 Cranberry Point in romance; Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner for Freakonomics in business; Rachael Ray for Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Get Real Meals in cooking; Christopher Moore for The Stupidest Angel in science fiction/fantasy/horror; and Stewart O'Nan and Stephen King for Faithful in sports.
Gerry Byrne, who developed the Quills on behalf of Reed Business Information (parent of PW) and NBC, said plans are already underway for next year's event, which will include a new category, book-to-screen.
An edited version of the more than four-hour ceremony will be shown on 14 NBC Universal-owned and -operated stations on October 22, 7—8 p.m.
