2016 Edgars Recap

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Last week was Edgar Week and Thursday was the awards banquet. So. Many. Highlights. A quick recap, in list form (because I do love lists):

  • I met one of my writing heroes, Walter Mosley, who won MWA’s Grand Master Award this year. Not going to pretend I didn’t go full fangirl. He’s incredible, and his rousing, inspiring acceptance speech brought the house to its feet.
  • This year, I served as a judge on the Best First Novel Committee. We chose our winner — THE SYMPATHIZER by Viet Tranh Nguyen — back in January, long before the book won a Pulitzer Prize. It’s an exceptional book, and it was hard to keep quiet about it for months! I’m also proud of the choice for another reason: before 2015, any author who wasn’t born in the US wasn’t eligible for Best First Edgar consideration. Literally, a naturalized US citizen like Viet Tranh Nguyen — who was born in Vietnam — couldn’t have entered a book in the category. While I served on MWA’s board, we changed the rules to finally fix that. So the choice of THE SYMPATHIZER thrills me on many levels. I’d also add that our Best First shortlist was filled with gems and I strongly encourage you to read them all.
  • IMG_9162My friend Lou Berney won the Edgar for Best Paperback Original for THE LONG AND FARAWAY GONE. That was one of the best moments of the night. Great guy, great book.
  • It was a thrill to watch Janet Rudolph win her Ellery Queen Award. Damn, girl. You were long overdue for that.

One of the best things about the Edgars every year is seeing out-of-town friends in New York. This year, that list includes Sara Paretsky, Jeff Abbott, Jon McGoran, Holly West, Erica Ruth Neubauer, Chantelle Aimee Osman, Joe Finder, and many more fabulous folks. I also love seeing so many of my New York friends gathered in one place. Thanks, Edgar, for a night to remember.


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