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On November 6th, 2006 the Mercantile Library Center For Fiction held a Gala Award Dinner in New York City to announce the winners of their annual prizes, The John Sargent Sr. First Novel Prize, the Clifton Fadiman Medal, and the Maxwell E. Perkins Award.
Marisha Pessl was awarded the 2006 John Sargent Sr. First Novel Prize for SPECIAL TOPICS IN CALAMITY PHYSICS (Viking), consisting of a cash prize of $10,000. The Prize, presented for the first time this year, was created as part of the Mercantile Library Center's mission to promote the art of fiction in the U.S.
The Clifton Fadiman Medal for Excellence in Fiction, which honors fiction written by a living American author who deserves rediscovery and wider readership, was given to Robert Coover for his book, PRICKSONGS AND DESCANTS. The medal carries a cash prize of $5,000.
The Maxwell E. Perkins Award for Achievement in the Field of Fiction was presented to Gary Fisketjon, who has worked as an editor at Random House and Vintage Books, Atlantic Monthly Press, and then Editor-at-Large and Vice President of Alfred A. Knopf. The award honors an editor, publisher, or agent who --- over the course of his or her career --- has discovered, nurtured, and championed writers of fiction in the U. S.
The Mercantile Library Center for Fiction was founded in 1820 by merchants and their clerks before the foundation of public libraries, and is one of the oldest cultural institutions in New York City. Located on E. 47th street, the Center houses one of the most extensive fiction collections in the U. S., as well as workspaces for writers. They also present lectures, readings, discussion groups, seminars, and writing workshops throughout the year. For more information, please visit http://www.mercantilelibrary.org/.
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