You Win!

The National Book Critics Circle consists of nearly 800 book reviewers who present awards each year to the best books in five categories. Nearly 100 members hail from the Bay Area, so the NBCC has tapped S.F. to host the NBCC Awards Finalists Announcement. Former finalists and awardees such as Frederick Crews, Dave Eggers, and Maxine Hong Kingston announce the winners, and people like Amy Tan, Daniel Alarcon, and W. S. Di Piero add zest to the proceedings. Like all the best book parties, it'll ultimately make you sad, what with all the talent cordoned into their passels, coteries, menageries, and coveys, doing what they do, dancing and singing. But the NBCC has additional plans for them. Like a mini-Litquake, the announcement is preceded by panel discussions at venues around the city. "Book Culture: The Future Is Global" features writers Alarcon and Micheline Aharonian Marcom and writer and critic Sylvia Brownrigg. "New Voices/Unrecognized Voices" has McSweeney's Books publisher Eli Horowitz and Zoetrope editor Michael Ray. And "The View From Here," featuring Andrew Sean Greer and NBCC board members, takes on the surprising new trend to hit publishing: That S.F. book buyers are influencing the nation. The announcement starts at 6 p.m. at City Lights, 261 Columbus (at Broadway), S.F. Admission is free; call 362-8193 or visit www.citylights.com.
Jan. 10-12, 2008