Young Lions

The scene inside the Celeste Bartos Forum for the NYPL 2009 Young Lions Fiction Award.

Last week, The New York Public Library along with Ethan Hawke held its 2009 Young Lions Fiction Award to celebrate the year's best young writers, with readings from each of the finalists' remarkable books.

The winning writer was Salvatore Scibona (for The End) who was awarded a $10,000 prize at a ceremony hosted by Young Lions co-founder and actor Ethan Hawke, held in the Celeste Bartos Forum of the Humanities and Social Sciences at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street.

The award honors the works of authors age 35 and under who are making an indelible impression on the world of literature.

Finalists Zachary Mason, Salvatore Scibona, Jon Fasman, Sana Krasikov, Rivka Galchen, and Library President Paul LeClerc

Winner Salvatore Scibona and his debut novel, The End

Award co-founder Hannah McFarland, and Jennifer Joel, a co-chair of the Young Lions

Zoe Kazan, Billy Crudup, and Ethan Hawke read excerpts from nominated books

The finalists included: Jon Fasman, The Unpossessed City; Rivka Galchen, Atmospheric Disturbances; Sana Krasikov, One More Year; Zachary Mason, The Lost Books of the Odyssey; Salvatore Scibona, The End.

Winners from previous years include: Olga Grushin, The Dream Life of Sukhanov; Uzodinma Iweala, Beasts of No Nation; Monique Truong, Book of Salt; Anthony Doerr, The Shell Collector; Jonathan Safran Foer, Everything is Illuminated; Colson Whitehead, John Henry Days; and Mark Z. Danielewski, House of Leaves.

Library President Paul LeClerc, Billy Crudup, Zoe Kazan and Ethan Hawke

Young Lions Committee member Amanda McCormick Bacal and husband Matthew Bacal

Finalist Jon Fasman goes over his book with Billy Crudup

Winner Salvatore Scibona with judges Andre Aciman and Lore Segal

Ethan Hawke with this year’s award judges Lore Segal and Andre Aciman

Salvatore Scibona signs book for a fan

Literary agent Richard Abate

Isabel Yordan, Lisie Melman, and Nicholas T. Brown

The Greensward Circle (young professionals under the age of 35 years) hosted a Winter Social, I Heart Central Park, at The Charles A. Dana Discovery Center for like-minded young professionals for drinks, desserts, and dialogue while learning how to maintain and preserve our urban sweet spot.

The evening featured specialty tapas courtesy of Cafe Largo, event photography courtesy of Social Shutterbug, and event decor via Ed Libby & Company, Inc.

Co-Chairs included Ashton Abbot, Dana Fowler Charette, Melissa Chusid, Robyn Delman, Christopher J. Gervais, Dawne Marie Grannum, Gayle Hawkins.

Billy Cooling, Jackie Valls, and Peter Boss

Douglas Blonsky, Kate Moutenot, and Evan Uhlick

Brooke Barquin, Andrew Goodwin, Ashton Abbot, Evan Uhlick, and Christina Scott

Abby Healy and Adelle Caravanos

Irma Gevski, Sonja Bebber, and Jenny Lumzmark Santiago

Denise Rehrit, John Kelly, and Margaret Brennan

Andrew Anderson and Christie Morrongiello

Patrick and Christine McCurdy

Aileen Farrell and Pete Schruth

Jessica van Campen and Rebecca Sullivan=

Jackie Valls, Rakhshan Bahid, Bill Behuniak, and Isabell Krusen

Margaret Brennan, John Kelly, Denise Rehrit, Evan Uhlick, and Ashton Abbot

Jonathan Sinex and Lindsey Failing

Vaibhav Bajaip and Rakhshan Bahid

Robert Kennedy and Rebecca Sullivan

Annunziata Sahid and Catherine Haden

Kathleen Pall, Samantha Wills, and Jennifer Smernes

Michael Hogan, Sally Hogan, and Andrew Goodwin

More from The New York Public Library ... Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Asturias (Spain) visited The NYPL to see some special items from the collections.

Prince Felipe, Princess Letizia, Dr. Judith Ginsberg, Paul LeClerc, and David Offensend

Prince and Princess with staff of The New York Public Library

Library President Paul LeClerc gives tour to Prince Felipe

Chief Librarian of the Dorot Jewish Division Michael Terry shows the Prince, Princess, Paul LeClerc & Judith Ginsberg rare items from the collection