National Book Awards - Sixteenth Annual Awards Presention

The NYPR Archive Collections | Jan 1, 2000

This is a recording of the The National Book Committee presentation of the 16th Annual National Book Awards, hosted by Donald McGannon, President of the Book Committee. Awards are presented to:

Theodore Roethke for "The Far Field" (Poetry)
Louis Fischer for "The Life of Lenin" (History)
Norbert Wiener for "God & Golem, Inc" (Science, Philosophy and Religion)
Eleanor Clark for "The Oysters of Locmariaquer" (Arts and Letters)
Saul Bellow for "Herzog" (Fiction)

Each recipient is presented with a $1000 check and gives a short acceptance speech. Stanley Kunitz speaks on behalf of Theodore Roethke who passed away in August of 1963. Jerome Wiesner speaks on behalf of Norbert Wiener who passed away in March of 1964.

Before concluding the ceremony, Donald McGannon reads a telegraph from President Lyndon Baines Johnson.


Audio courtesy of the NYC Municipal Archives WNYC Collection


WNYC archives id: 150023
Municipal archives id: T1081

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