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6 Authors With Brooklyn Ties Vie to Win $2,500 Literary Prize

By Nikhita Venugopal | August 30, 2016 12:15pm
 Brooklyn Public Library announced the shortlist of works for the
Brooklyn Public Library announced the shortlist of works for the "Brooklyn Eagles Literary Prize" on Monday.
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Facebook/Brooklyn Public Library

There's no denying Brooklyn's home to some of the best writers, but the borough also has inspired multitudes of authors from around the world.

The "Brooklyn Eagles Literary Prize" honors pieces of fiction and nonfiction written "by authors who have lived in Brooklyn, portrayed the borough in their work or addressed themes relevant to its life and culture," according to Brooklyn Public Library, which announced the shortlist for the award Monday.

The prize was first awarded last year to Atticus Lish for "Preparation for the Next Life" in the fiction category and "The Edge Becomes the Center: An Oral History of Gentrification in the 21st Century," by DW Gibson, in nonfiction.

Nominations for the prize were submitted earlier this year by local bookstores and libraries throughout Brooklyn and then shortlisted over the summer. A selected panel of authors and critics will then review the works.

► READ ALSO: 5 Events You Should Check Out at This Year's Brooklyn Book Festival

The judges' identities will be revealed at a reading by shortlisted authors held on Sept. 13 at Franklin Park, located 618 St. Johns Place.

The winners will be announced on Oct. 21 at the Brooklyn Classic, the Brooklyn Eagles' fundraising event. The winning fiction and nonfiction author will both receive $2,500.

Here are the six works of fiction and nonfiction that have been shortlisted for the prize:

Shortlist, fiction:

► "Don’t Let My Baby Do Rodeo," Boris Fishman

► "Bright Lines," Tanwi Nandini Islam

► "Ways to Disappear, Idra Novey

Shortlist, nonfiction:

► "Lockdown on Rikers: Shocking Stories of Abuse and Injustice at New York's Notorious Jail," Mary E. Buser

► "Kill ’Em and Leave," James McBride

► "Sunny’s Nights: Lost and Found at a Bar on the Edge of the World," Tim Sultan