If you thought that the world of book awards is incapable of yielding high drama, you are sadly mistaken. An author was, for the first time in the history of the National Book Awards, asked to withdraw her book, which had been shortlisted for the award after being mistakenly named as a finalist by the National Book Foundation.
Lauren Myracle, a young-adult fiction writer, received a call on Oct. 10 from the National Book Foundation to inform her that her book, "Shine"—which details the experiences of a gay teenager who finds himself the victim of a hate crime as a result of his sexuality—had been named a finalist for the National Book Award. Myracle instantly tweeted, Facebooked, and made ecstatic calls to inform all her fans, friends, and family about the news.
Shortly after they had informed Ms. Myracle about her book's success, the National Book Foundation called back to correct itself, saying that they had made a mistake, and the book that had made the finalist list was"Chime" by Franny Billingsley. The National Book Foundation was going to allow "Shine" to remain on the five-book shortlist based on the books merits.
Friday, Oct. 15 arrived with another blow to Ms. Myracle's book.
The National Book Foundation called Ms. Myracle once again to ask that she withdraw her book from the shortlist in order to "preserve the integrity of the award," said Myracle in an interview with the New York Times, and she agreed to do so.
At Myracle's urging, the National Book Foundation will make a donation of $5,000 to the Matthew Shepard Foundation, which advocates for GBLTQIA youth and promotes dignity and acceptance.
In order to be eligible for a National Book Award, a book must have been written by a citizen of the United States. The winners of the National Book Awards will be announced at a ceremony in Manhattan on Nov. 16.
