The National Book Award ceremony took a political turn on Wednesday night, as the event concluded with a joint statement from a group of writers who called for a cease-fire in Gaza.
For the final award of the night, Justin Torres received the fiction prize for “Blackouts,” his widely acclaimed, genre-defying novel about erasure and queer history.
As Torres gave his speech, more than a dozen other nominees from different categories joined him on the stage.
They stood behind Aaliyah Bilal, a finalist in the fiction category for her short story collection “Temple Folk,” as she read the statement.
“On behalf of the finalists, we oppose the ongoing bombardment of Gaza and call for a humanitarian cease-fire to address the urgent humanitarian needs of Palestinian civilians, particularly children,” Bilal said.
Persons:
Justin Torres, Torres, Aaliyah Bilal, ” Bilal, “, LeVar Burton, ” Burton
Locations:
Gaza