Kate McKinnon to host National Book Awards next month. Jon Batiste will perform live
This year’s National Book Awards 75th anniversary ceremony won’t only be a celebration of literature
NEW YORK (AP) — This year's National Book Awards 75th anniversary ceremony won't only be a tribute to literature. Expect some laughs and some music, too.
The National Book Foundation announced Thursday that Kate McKinnon of “Saturday Night Live" fame will host the Nov. 20 event at Cipriani Wall Street in Manhattan, and Oscar- and Grammy-winning composer-musician Jon Batiste will perform. Awards judges will announce winners in five categories, with finalists including Salman Rushdie and Percival Everett.
McKinnon herself is not a nominee, but she is an author. Her children's book, “The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science,” was published earlier this month.
“I’ve been an invested reader my whole life and am so honored to be part of this event that celebrates the life-changing power of books while recognizing some of today’s most brilliant storytellers,” McKinnon said in a statement. “I was lucky to grow up surrounded by books, devouring everything from Pippi Longstocking to a comprehensive manual on proper iguana care, and this access to stories and perspectives helped shape my worldview and understanding of what was possible."
