Lauren Groff Received The Medici Book Club Prize For Arcadia

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Oct. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Lauren Groff, bestselling author of the novel Arcadia (Hyperion), was awarded The Medici Book Club Prize. The award presentation was the culminating event at The Beverly Hills Literary Escape. Julie Robinson, founder and CEO of Literary Affairs (www.literaryaffairs.net), presented the $5,000 award.

Accepting her award before a sold out gathering of avid readers, Groff said, "The landscape for fiction sometimes feels as if it is shrinking, with less attention paid to books and less space in newspapers for critical opinions; at least until you remember that book clubs have emerged in the past few years to be true literary salons where smart, passionate, and eloquent readers are paying serious attention to books."

The Medici Book Club Prize is a $5,000 cash award presented annually to a writer whose book has inspired thoughtful conversation in book clubs and contributed to a deeper understanding of the human experience. The prize is generously supported by the contributions of the Medici Founding Patrons.

The number of book sales directly attributable to book clubs is 60 million annually, bespeaking the vital importance that book clubs have in keeping the publishing of high-quality literary fiction alive in this country. 

Every year the Beverly Hills Literary Escape brings together some of the most well-known and lauded writers to engage in thought-provoking, informal conversation with one another.  This year's event boasted two of America's greatest living writers, Tobias Wolff and Michael Cunningham, authors of two of the best loved novels by book clubs of all time, Old School and The Hours.

ABOUT THE MEDICI BOOK CLUB PRIZE: The mission of The Medici Book Club Prize is to recognize a distinguished work of fiction that has inspired thoughtful conversation and contributed to a deeper understanding of the human experience. The $5,000 award is the first annual national prize that acknowledges the tremendous impact book club selections have on readers.

The Medici Book Club Prize is selected from a short list of books that were the most popular books read by thousands of book club readers during the previous year. The winner is selected by The Medici Patrons.

CONTACT: Diane Shader Smith, [email protected], 310-386-6803

SOURCE Literary Affairs