From Cipriani in New York City, the 59th Annual National Book Awards Ceremony.

Awards for books in four categories - fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and young people's literature - were handed out. This year, 1,258 books submitted by 200 publishers were considered. Publisher Barney Rosset (Grove Press) was given the 2008 The Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community and author Maxine Hong Kingston was given the 2008 National Book Award for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. Writer and actor Eric Bogosian acted as MC for the evening.

The winner's of the 2008 National Book Awards were Annette Gordon-Reed, "The Hemingses of Monticello" for Non-Fiction, Peter Matthiessen, "Shadow Country" for Fiction, Mark Doty, "Fire to Fire" for Poetry, and Judy Blundell, "What I Saw and How I Lied" for Young People's Literature.

2008 National Book Award Finalists

Fiction:
Aleksandar Hemon, "The Lazarus Project" Rachel Kushner, "Telex from Cuba" Peter Matthiessen, "Shadow Country" Marilynne Robinson, "Home" Salvatore Scibona, "The End"

Nonfiction:
Drew Gilpin Faust, "This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War" Annette Gordon-Reed, "The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family" Jane Mayer, "The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals" Jim Sheeler, "Final Salute: A Story of Unfinished Lives" Joan Wickersham, "The Suicide Index: Putting My Father's Death in Order" Poetry: Frank Bidart, "Watching the Spring Festival" Mark Doty, "Fire to Fire: New and Collected Poems" Reginald Gibbons, "Creatures of a Day" Richard Howard, "Without Saying" Patricia Smith, "Blood Dazzler" Young People's Literature: Laurie Halse Anderson, "Chains" Kathi Appelt, "The Underneath" Judy Blundell, "What I Saw and How I Lied" E. Lockhart, "The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks" Tim Tharp, "The Spectacular Now"