Longlist For 2024 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction Announced, List Includes 21 Fiction, 24 Nonfiction Titles

From the American Library Association:

Forty-five books (21 fiction, 24 nonfiction) have been selected for the longlist for the 2024 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction. The list is now available  on the awards’ website. The six-title shortlist—three each for the fiction and nonfiction medals—will be chosen from longlist titles and announced on November 14, 2023. The two medal winners will be announced by 2024 selection committee chair Aryssa Damron at the Reference and User Services Association’s (RUSA) Book and Media Awards livestreaming event, held during LibLearnX in Baltimore on Saturday, January 20, at 9:45 a.m. Eastern. A celebratory event, including presentations by the winners and a featured speaker, will take place in June 2024 at the American Library Association’s (ALA) Annual Conference in San Diego.

The awards are funded through a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York and are cosponsored and administered by Booklist and RUSA. Booklist also sponsors the Michael L. Printz Award, the Odyssey Award, and the Alex Awards. RUSA’s Collection Development and Evaluation Section (CODES) administers the Notable Books List, The Reading List, The Listen List, and the Sophie Brody Medal.

The Andrew Carnegie Medals are the first single-book awards for adult titles given by ALA, and they reflect the expert judgment and insight of library and book professionals who work closely with adult readers. The Medals and the lists leading up to the selection of the winners serve as guides to selecting quality reading material.

The Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction selection committee, appointed annually, includes Booklist editors or contributors, members of RUSA’s CODES Notable Books Council, and a representative of the American Booksellers Association. Librarian for the District of Columbia Public Library and 2024 selection committee chair Aryssa Damron is joined by: Montoya Barker, Special Collections Librarian, Indianapolis (Ind.) Public Library; Lillian Dabney, Adult Services Librarian, Seattle (Wash.) Athenaeum; Marlene Harris, Reviewer, Reading Reality LLC; Audrey I-Wei Huang, Bookseller, Belmont Books in Belmont, Massachusetts; Laurie Unger Skinner, Librarian, Vernon Hills, Illinois; and Hana Zittel, Community Outreach Manager, Denver (Colo.) Public Library.

“Our committee relished this amazing opportunity to read together and discuss so many amazing titles,” says Damron. “With almost two decades of award committee experience between us all, we were continually excited to have this opportunity for reflection on our reading and to push ourselves to read further and wider than ever before. This long list represents the tireless work of these professionals who have truly bonded this past year over our love of books and our immense awe at each other’s ability to provide such nuanced engagement with each and every title that came across our desks. Chairing this astounding group of readers has been the joy of a lifetime as a leader and as a reader.”

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