MAIN NEWS HEADLINES
May 10 – May 17, 2007 Edition

NBC to Televise

Quill Awards

In October

NEW YORK, NY/5/3/07–Returning in its third year with a revamped program and early outside interest, the 2007 Quill Awards, supported by Reed Business Information (RBI) and the NBC Universal Television Stations, will be presented on October 22, 2007, during a gala ceremony at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. Produced by Al Roker Entertainment, Inc., the awards program will be carried by the NBC Universal Television Stations and syndicated through NBC Universal Television Distribution to local markets nationwide on October 27, 2007. MSNBC.com, the number one TV news site on the Internet, averaging 27 million unique visitors per month, and the NBC Universal Television Stations will augment their exclusive coverage of the Quills in support of this year’s voting process and program. Additionally, AARP and Borders, Inc.® are already on board and in the planning stages for expanded roles in this year’s Quills.

“Now in its third year, the Quills’ celebration continues to gain momentum,” said Jay Ireland, President, NBC Universal Television Stations. “We’re excited to return as the media partner for this important event that promotes literacy and to bring the Quills to an even wider audience this year through our expanded broadcast and online platforms.”

Publishers Weekly (PW) magazine, the leading trade publication for international and U.S. book publishing, will have an important role in the 2007 nomination process. Headed by Sara Nelson, PW’s Editor-in-Chief, a Quills/PW Selection Committee comprised of PW editors will draw upon industry expertise, PW starred reviews and PW Bestseller Lists to nominate five books in each of the Quills nineteen categories. Eligible titles will have been published between July 1, 2006 and June 30, 2007. The list of nominated authors will be announced in a highly publicized and visible platform at BookExpo America (BEA) in New York City on June 2, 2007. The PW staff’s unique overview of the thousands of titles published each year will help to insure that the best of both the commercial and literary worlds are considered, and that nominated titles share the Quills’ commitment to bring today’s leading literature to the reading public.

David Nudo, publisher of Publishers Weekly, commented, “We’re pleased to bring increased attention to some of the year’s most worthy titles as we broaden our role within the Quills program. Publishers Weekly’s skilled and diverse editorial team brings a perspective that will help insure that this year’s nominated titles will be both of popular interest and literary quality.”

Following the BEA announcement, a Voting Board consisting of more than 6,000 booksellers and librarians will vote for the winners in the nineteen categories. On September 10th, in a completely new procedure for the Quills, the winners will be announced to the public. “We know the attendees feel strongly about wanting to see all of the winners at the awards ceremony and this will go a long way toward helping us achieve that goal,” said Gerry Byrne, Chairman and Founder of The Quill Awards, “We are pleased to continue to build on the success of last year by implementing these changes.”

From September 10th through October 10th, book consumers will be very much involved by casting their votes for “The Book of the Year,” selecting from the group of nineteen Quill Award winners.

Designed to inspire reading while promoting great literature, the 2007 Quill Awards ceremony will be a true celebration of books. The gala ceremony will be held at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Broadway at 60th Street in New York City. As in previous years, these nationally televised awards will be filled with celebrities and bestselling authors on the red carpet and during the presentations to the winners. In 2006, the Quills were attended by such celebrities and luminaries as Caroline Kennedy, Harry Connick, Jr., Anderson Cooper, Janet Evanovich, Mary Matalin, James Patterson, and Judy Blume. The awards event will also include the Debut Author of the Year Award, Platinum Quill, The Quills Corporate Literacy Award, and The Variety Blockbuster Book to Film Quill.

Reed Business Information is North America's largest business-to-business information provider, covering 23 market sectors with more than 80 market-leading publications and 80 websites, as well as a range of services. It is publisher of Publishers Weekly, Variety, Library Journal, and School Library Journal.

The NBC Universal Television Stations are owned-and-operated by NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.

Al Roker Entertainment, Inc. (ARE) produces top-quality programs for cable and network television. ARE has produced for Lifetime, A&E, PBS, Fine Living, E! Entertainment and Discovery, and is currently working on series and specials for The NBC Television Stations Group, Food Network, In Demand / Mojo, Spike TV, and Court TV.

For further information on The Quill Awards and a complete list of the book award categories, please visit http://www.thequillawards.com/