When the publishing elite gathers for the National Book Awardsdinner Wednesday evening in Manhattan, there will be signs everywhere of the aspirations to turn this once-dowdy event into a glamorous party.
The ceremony — held at a Marriott in Midtown until a few years ago — will be at the cavernously ornate Cipriani Wall Street. There will be an Oscar-style red carpet inside the ballroom to welcome celebrity guests like the former teen-actress-turned-author Molly Ringwald. Inside, a Brooklyn D. J. named Rabbi Darkside will be spinning the tunes.
These flourishes are just the most visible part of the makeover for a literary award considered one of the most prestigious in the United States. The National Book Foundation, which presents the prizes, has been instituting changes behind the scenes as well, tweaking the nomination process.