Carolyn Reidy to receive a lifetime achievement honor at the 2020 National Book Awards

The National Book Foundation announced today that Carolyn Reidy, the late president and chief executive of Simon & Schuster, will be the recipient of its Literarian Award at the 2020 National Book Awards. So for the National Book Foundation to depart from that focus and award Carolyn its Literarian Award this year is to put her in the forefront in a way that would have surprised and honored her.” Obituaries Colleagues remember Carolyn Reidy, CEO of Simon & Schuster, as fierce and kind Reidy died Tuesday of a heart attack at age 71. “Carolyn Reidy was a singular force in the world of books,” said Lisa Lucas, executive director of the National Book Foundation, which presents the awards, in a statement. David Steinberger, chair of the foundation’s board of directors, also released a statement that read in part: “Books and readers around the world have benefitted deeply from having Carolyn Reidy at the helm of the publishing industry.” Mentioning her leadership of the foundation’s program committee, he added, “In her almost two decades of generous service she instilled energy, creativity and insight into all of the National Book Foundation’s programming.” Books A reckoning long overdue: Dana Canedy and Lisa Lucas on their new positions in publishing Two Black women are taking top positions at Simon & Schuster and Knopf.