August 26, 2014 - 11:50 AM
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Author Jamaica Kincaid and film critic Armond White are among the winners of the 35th annual American Book Awards, which celebrate multiculturalism and free expression.
The Before Columbus Foundation announced Tuesday that Kincaid was cited for the novel "See Now Then." White received an "Anti-Censorship Award" because of his being "unfairly removed" from the New York Film Critics Circle. In January, he was expelled after allegedly heckling "12 Years a Slave" director Steve McQueen at the group's annual awards banquet. White, known for his contrarian views, has called the allegations a "barrage of lies."
Other winners include Andrew Bacevich's nonfiction "Breach of Trust" and Alex Espinoza's novel "The Five Acts of Diego Leon." The awards will be presented Oct. 26 in San Francisco.
The Before Columbus Foundation is a non-profit founded by author-playwright Ishmael Reed.
News from © The Associated Press, 2014