Raven Leilani's 'Luster' Wins Center For Fiction First Novel Prize

The Center for Fiction awarded its First Novel Prize, which recognizes the year's best debut novel and carries a $15,000 monetary gift, to Luster by Raven Leilani at its Annual Awards Benefit on Thursday, December 3, with actor and comedian Yvonne Orji emceeing the virtual event. The organization also presented its On Screen Award to James McBride and SHOWTIME for its original series "The Good Lord Bird" and its Medal for Editorial Excellence to publisher and editor Chris Jackson of One World, an imprint of Random House. This year's Awards Benefit was dedicated in loving memory to Toni Morrison.

A special performance by Laura Benanti and an appearance by Raúl Esparza bolstered the night's theme, described as "a jubilee in celebration of the power of imagination and the will for social justice" by Center for Fiction Board Chair Erroll McDonald. Funds raised during the Annual Awards Benefit will support the literary nonprofit's mission to champion the universality and diversity of storytelling by bringing communities of readers and writers together through public author events and performances, awards and fellowships for early-career writers, and educational programs for students in under-resourced NYC public schools.

Writers Stefan Merrill Block, Halle Butler, Jenny Offill, and De'Shawn Charles Winslow, who won the 2019 First Novel Prize for In West Mills-selected Raven Leilani's Luster as the 2020 First Novel Prize winner from a short list of remarkable debut fiction by Amina Cain (Indelicacy), Maisy Card (These Ghosts Are Family), Hilary Leichter (Temporary), Corey Sobel (The Redshirt), Douglas Stuart (Shuggie Bain), and C Pam Zhang (How Much of These Hills Is Gold).

"Raven Leilani's unforgettable portrayal of Edie- a young Black woman who finds herself in a series of bizarre, dysfunctional, and darkly funny situations in her ongoing quest to discover herself-is delivered in pitch perfect prose," says Allison Escoto, Head Librarian and Education Director at the Center for Fiction.

In her remarks, Leilani expressed gratitude to "the librarians and the booksellers and the indie bookstores who have advocated fiercely for this book...Thank you to everyone who came to this book with generosity: it has really meant everything."

Actor Ethan Hawke, who portrays abolitionist John Brown in SHOWTIME's "The Good Lord Bird," presented the On Screen Award to author James McBride and SHOWTIME for its groundbreaking adaption of the National Book Award-winning novel of the same name into an acclaimed television series. "The metaphor of The Good Lord Bird is this-when you let something beautiful die, if it's gorgeous and irreplaceable, it never comes back," said McBride in his acceptance. "Let's banish the evil now, let's not let it come back. Let's let America be what it was supposed to be, and what we know in our hearts it truly is." Vinnie Malhotra, VP of Nonfiction Programming, accepted the award on behalf of SHOWTIME. "The Good Lord Bird is an exceptionally powerful story coming at such an intense time in our society and in our lives. And it is absolutely the right story to be told at the right time and in the right way."

Ta-Nehisi Coates presented his editor Chris Jackson with the Medal for Editorial Excellence, which recognizes an editor, publisher, or agent who has spent a career nurturing and championing writers. Jackson, who led the relaunch of One World, accepted the award on behalf of the many writers he's worked with, including Jordy Rosenberg, Trevor Noah, Kali Fajardo-Anstine, Eddie Huang, Bryan Stevenson, Alicia Garza, and Ibram X. Kendi. "The publishing industry that serves us all, that helps us better imagine ourselves into each other's lives, better see and understand each other, and create a better world is ours to make."