The National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) is a professional membership organization created to promote literature and literary criticism through its annual awards, as well as through its online outreach and national events. The group was established in 1974 by John Leonard, critic and editor of The New York Times Book Review; Nona Balakian, critic and an editorial staff member of The New York Times Sunday Book Review; and Ivan Sandrof, critic and literary editor of the Worcester Telegram, who served as the first president of NBCC.

The first National Book Critics Circle Award ceremony was held in 1976, and awards were given in the categories of fiction, general non-fiction, poetry, and criticism. In 1983, biography was added as a category separate from non-fiction, and in 2005, autobiography was made a separate, sixth award category. In addition to the genre awards given by the NBCC, the organization established, in 1981, the Ivan Sandrof Life Achievement Award for individuals who have made distinguished contributions to the literary field, although it has occasionally been awarded to institutions, such as the Library of America in 1984, PEN American Center in 2008, and Feminist Press in 2020.

Other awards conferred by NBCC include the Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing, named for NBCC’s co-founding member, and initiated in 1992 to award an outstanding member critic; and the John Leonard Prize, created in 2013 and named for NBCC’s third co-founder, to honor a selected author’s first published book. In 2021, the Toni Morrison Achievement Award was first given to honor a noteworthy institutional literary contributor; past winners have included Cave Canem (2021), and the American Library Association (2023). In addition, the Gregg Barrios Book in Translation Prize, was introduced by NBCC in 2022. The NBCC genre award winners, as well as the Sandrof, Balakian, and Morrison award recipients are selected by individual committees composed of NBCC board members. The John Leonard and Greg Barrios Translation prizes are awarded by voting members of the NBCC, consisting of working literary editors and critics.

In 2003, the National Book Critics Circle Awards ceremony and finalist readings were held for the first time at New School University, with co-sponsorship from The New School Creative Writing Program. In prior years, New York University had hosted the events. Literary readings introduced by NBCC critic members and featuring emerging and established authors had been held at The New School as far back as 1998. As of 2025, the NBCC awards ceremony continues to be held annually at The New School.

References

“About.” National Book Critics Circle. Accessed September 23, 2025. https://www.bookcritics.org/awards/.

Baker, John F. “McEwan, Gass, Howard among winners at NBCC Awards.” Publishers Weekly, 250, No. 9 (March 3, 2003): 22.

“Events.” National Book Critics Circle. Accessed September 23, 2025. https://www.bookcritics.org/events/.

“Fall 1998 Special Programs at The New School,” September 15, 1998, New School Office of Communications, George Calderaro Records, NS.03.01.03, box 1, folder 22, New School Archives and Special Collections, The New School, New York, New York.

“National Book Critics Circle Awards.” National Book Critics Circle. Accessed September 23, 2025. https://www.bookcritics.org/awards/.

“Our First NBCC Awards: Pick of the Professionals.” The National Book Critics Circle Journal, 2, No. 1 (Spring 1976).