After years of pandemic disruption, New York’s in-person literary galas and events are steadily returning.
Tonight, March 27, Poets & Writers hosts its annual gala at NYC’s Pier Sixty, with Levar Burton hosting. Colin Channer, Reyna Grande, and Celeste Ng are receiving the 2023 Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award, and Jennifer Hershey will receive the 2023 Editor’s Award.
On March 28, following today’s Audio Publishers Association conference, the Audies Gala will be held at Pier Sixty. A YouTube livestream will begin for those at home at 9 pm, when the winners of the 28th annual Audie Awards will be announced.
On April 27, One Story will hold its annual Literary Debutante Ball at Roulette in Brooklyn. The evening celebrates all One Story authors who have published their first books in the preceding year; 2023 marks the 13th installment of festivities. In addition to authors Isaac Blum, Rita Chang-Eppig, Rachel King, Talia Lakshmi Kolluri, Gothataone Moeng, David Lawrence Morse, Richard Mirabella, Josh Riedel, and Laura Spence-Ash, the literary journal will celebrate its 2023 Distinguished Alum, Tania James.
Looking forward to May: the Library of America will host a fortieth anniversary celebration at the Metropolitan Club. Featured writers include Henry Louis Gates, Jr.; Adam Gopnik; Farah Jasmine Griffin; Maxine Hong Kingston; Tony Kushner; and Suzanne Vega. Part of all ticket packages include a donation in the attendee’s name to NYC’s public libraries or to Library of America’s own Education Outreach Fund.
On May 9, the Authors Guild Foundation Gala will take place in the Grand Ballroom of New York’s Plaza Hotel. Roxane Gay and Debbie Millman are hosting, and awards include the Authors Guild Foundation Award for Defending Free Speech and Expression, presented by Tracie D. Hall to Christopher Finan; the Authors Guild Foundation Award for Distinguished Service to the Literary Community, presented by Elizabeth Strout to Roxana Robinson; and the Authors Guild Foundation Award for Literary Activism, presented by Jason Reynolds to Angie Thomas.
On May 18, the PEN America Literary Gala returns to the American Museum of Natural History, with Colin Jost overseeing the evening. The program will be livestreamed from 7:30 onward, following the cocktail hour.
And on June 9, Lambda Literary will hold its 35th annual Lammy Awards – both live in-person at the Edison Ballroom and through “an immersive virtual platform” online. Awards will be given in twenty-five categories, and proceeds from the evening go towards Lambda’s programs for emerging writers and young people.
