2005 National Book Awards Ceremony

The National Book Foundation presented the 56th Annual National Book Awards for best book in each of the categories of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and young people’s literature. Garrison Keillor emceed the ceremony. The winners each gave short acceptance speeches. In addition Lawrence Ferlinghetti received the first Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community, presented by Toni Morrison. Norman Mailer was the recipient of the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, presented by Jessica Hagedorn.

National Book Awards were presented to: Joan Didion, author of The Year of Magical Thinking (nonfiction), William Vollmann, author of Europe Central (fiction), W.S. Merwin, author of Migration: New and Selected Poems (poetry), and Jeanne Birdsall, author of The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy (young people’s literature). John Burnham Schwartz, William S. Merwin’s stepson, accepte close