NEW YORK, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- Poet Adrienne Rich was revealed Wednesday as the winner of the National Book Awards' 2006 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.
Rich will be honored during the 57th National Book Awards Ceremony Nov. 15 in New York, The National Book Foundation said on its Web site.
The co-founders of The New York Review of Books -- Robert Silvers and the late Barbara Epstein -- will be awarded The Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community for their impact on the literary world during their careers.
"Adrienne Rich, Robert Silvers and Barbara Epstein have been major forces in the literary world for decades, mavericks and visionaries who have held all of us who love books and writing to the highest possible standard," Foundation Director Harold Augenbraum said. "They remind us that books have the power to enrich our world. Our Board of Directors is honored that they will accept these awards."
The ceremony will reveal this year's winners in four literary categories -- Best Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Young People's Literature.
