Preparation for the Next Life, Acclaimed Debut Novel by Atticus Lish, Wins Fiction Award
Nonfiction Committee Selects DW Gibson’s The Edge Becomes the Center: An Oral History of Gentrification in the 21st Century
Brooklyn, NY—The search for the defining Brooklyn literary works of the past year concluded last night with the awarding of the inaugural Brooklyn Eagles Literary Prize to author and journalist DW Gibson and debut novelist Atticus Lish. The authors accepted their awards at the third annual Brooklyn Classic, the premiere annual fundraiser of the Brooklyn Eagles, a community of young professionals who volunteer their time and raise funds for Brooklyn Public Library.
“Brooklyn Public Library is proud to have honored two exceptional works with the first-ever Brooklyn Eagles Literary Prize,” said BPL President & CEO Linda E. Johnson. “We congratulate all of the nominees and extend our appreciation to the bookstores, library professionals, judges and sponsors who helped make the prize a success.”
The award was created by the Brooklyn Eagles to celebrate Brooklyn's literary culture with input from bookstores, librarians and artists. BPL staff selected three fiction and three nonfiction works from a longlist of nominees submitted by borough bookstores and library professionals. While the criteria for nominations was loosely defined, the nominated works were generally from authors who have lived in Brooklyn, portrayed the borough in prose or addressed themes relevant to its life and culture. The winners were selected by a panel of accomplished writers and editors, including Pultizer Prize- and National Book Award-winning authors.
“In choosing Atticus Lish's Preparation for the Next Life for the inaugural Brooklyn Eagles Literary Prize, the fiction committee celebrated the debut of a new and utterly original voice in American literature,” said Ashley Mihlebach, chair of the fiction committee.
“DW Gibson's The Edge Becomes the Center tells the story of gentrification from the perspective of the people who experience it most closely, and the result is a moving work of art that will resonate in Brooklyn and beyond,” said Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times editor and nonfiction committee chair Charles Duhigg.
The judges had the unenviable task of choosing winners from a shortlist of extraordinary works that included James Hannaham’s Delicious Foods, a brutal yet compassionately rendered tale of a mother desperate to escape addiction and enslavement to reunite with her son; Lena Finkle’s Magic Barrel, a graphic novel by Anya Ulinich that examines with frank honesty the challenges of parenting and dating in Brooklyn; Claire Prentice’s The Lost Tribe of Coney Island: Headhunters, Luna Park, and the Man Who Pulled off the Spectacle of the Century, an absorbing look at a disturbing and nearly forgotten story from America's sideshow past; and Kent Russell’s I Am Sorry to Think I Have Raised A Timid Son, a bold collection from a Brooklyn-based essayist whose distinct voice unites his wide-ranging subjects.
The inaugural Brooklyn Eagles Literary Prize was supported by the Peck Stacpoole Foundation, which funded the prizes awarded to the winners.
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About Brooklyn Public Library
Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) is an independent library system for the 2.5 million residents of Brooklyn. It is the fifth largest library system in the United States with 60 neighborhood libraries located throughout the borough. BPL offers free programs and services for all ages and stages of life, including a large selection of books in more than 30 languages, author talks, literacy programs and public computers. BPL’s eResources, such as eBooks and eVideos, catalog information and free homework help, are available to customers of all ages 24 hours a day at our website: www.bklynlibrary.org.
About the Brooklyn Eagles
The Brooklyn Eagles are a community of engaged young Brooklyn Public Library supporters whose mission is to connect with new patrons, promote BPL as a cultural center and build a vibrant community around the Library. The Eagles support BPL by fundraising, advocating and raising awareness for Library programs and resources. Since 2013, the Eagles have volunteered their time and engaged hundreds of young professionals through their service projects, happy hours and the annual Brooklyn Classic fundraiser.