Annual Dinner

In Celebration of Writers

Each year, P&W honors three writers with the Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Awards, which are given to writers who volunteer time or money to writers’ causes, have advocated on behalf of other writers, or have made an exceptional contribution affecting the lives of writers. Beginning in 2009, Poets & Writers will also present an Editor's Award, recognizing a book editor who has made an outstanding contribution to the publication of poetry or literary prose over a sustained period of time. The awards are presented at Poets & Writers’ annual gala benefit, In Celebration of Writers, the organization’s largest fundraising event, which is held in New York City, and attracts luminaries from the arts, publishing industry, and media. Funds raised from the event support all of Poets & Writers’ programs for writers.

Past recipients of the Writers for Writers Award are: Edward Albee, Regie Cabico, Mary Higgins Clark, Toi Derricotte, E.L. Doctorow, Rita Dove, Cornelius Eady, Marita Golden, Barbara Goldsmith, E. Lynn Harris, Bill Henderson, A.M. Homes, June Jordan, Stephen King, Barbara Kingsolver, Stanley Kunitz, Wally Lamb, Terry McMillan, James Michener, Arthur Miller, E. Ethelbert Miller, Walter Mosley, Sidney Offit, Francine Prose, Anna Quindlen, Susan Richards Shreve, Susan Sontag, Peter Straub, William Styron, Quincy Troupe, Scott Turow, and Hilma Wolitzer.

The 2010 recipients of the Writers for Writers Award are Junot Diaz, Maxine Hong Kingston, and M.L. Liebler. The 2010 recipient of the Editor's Award is Pat Strachan. Click here for more information on this year's recipients.

The 2010 In Celebration of Writers benefit dinner will be held on Thursday, March 18 at Capitale, 130 Bowery.  Cocktails are at 6PM, dinner at 7PM.  An After Party will take place at the same location from 9 to 11PM.  Benefit tickets, which support Poets & Writers programs, begin at $500.  For more information, please contact the development office.  In addition, a limited number of tickets to the After Party only are available for $25 here.