BTW News Briefs

BEA Announces Attendance Figures

On Thursday, May 25, BookExpo America released attendance figures for last week's trade show in Washington, D.C. Of the 31,971 industry professionals registered for the 2006 show, BEA said that 22,366 were verified attendees. In comparison, the total number of registrants for last year's BEA in New York City was 34,966 and the total number of verified attendees was 27,421. In 2004, in Chicago, the total number of registrants was 25,261, and the total number of verified attendees was 18,213.

BEA puts the number of book buyers at this year's trade show at 7,324. The number in 2005 in New York was 7,701, and the number in 2004 in Chicago was 7,492.

BEA notes that all numbers for this year's show may be subject to minor change pending an upcoming audit.

Judge Says NSLs Likely Unconstitutional

On May 23, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling in two American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) cases challenging National Security Letters (NSLs) issued to an Internet provider in New York and to a Connecticut librarian. The court declared the Connecticut case moot in light of the government's decision to lift the gag there, and it sent the New York case back to the district court for further consideration in light of the changes in the reauthorized Patriot Act, as reported by the Associated Press. The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression filed amicus briefs in both lawsuits.

In his opinion, Judge Richard Cardamone warned that a permanent gag in connection with NSLs is likely unconstitutional, as reported by the Associated Press. "While everyone recognizes national security concerns are implicated when the government investigates terrorism within our nation's borders, such concerns should be leavened with common sense so as not forever to trump the rights of the citizenry under the Constitution," he said, according to AP.

Lambda Literary Foundation Presents 18th Annual Lammy Winners

On Thursday, May 18, a crowd of over 200 booksellers, writers, editors, publicists, and readers gathered at the Equality Forum at the Human Rights Campaign in Washington, D.C., for the presentation of the Lambda Literary Foundation's 18th Annual Lambda Literary Awards. Among the winner were:

• Children's/Young Adult -- Swimming in the Monsoon Sea by Shyam Selvadurai (Tundra Books)
• Gay Men's Fiction -- The Sluts by Dennis Cooper (Carroll & Graf)
• Lesbian Fiction -- Babyji by Abha Dawesar (Anchor Books); Wild Dogs by Helen Humphreys (Norton)
• Nonfiction -- Words to Our Now by Thomas Glave (University of Minnesota Press)

For the complete list of winners, visit the Lambda Literary Foundation website, www.lambdaliterary.org.

NBC Expands Quills Partnership

This year's Quill Awards, supported by Reed Business Information (RBI) and the NBC Universal Television Stations, will be presented on October 10, 2006, during a gala ceremony at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. To be carried on the NBC Universal Television Stations and produced by Al Roker Productions, Inc., the awards program will also be syndicated through NBC Universal Television Distribution, increasing national coverage of the show.

For the first time, the Quills will also have an exclusive presence on MSNBC.com. In addition to being a main source for consumer voting, MSNBC.com will create and feature unique content about the Quills, which is the first awards program to honor excellence in publishing and include consumers in the voting process.

Designed to inspire reading while promoting literacy, the Quills will honor winners in more than 21 different categories, including Book of the Year, Debut Author of the Year, a Quills Corporate Literacy Award, and a new special honor, Best Book to Film. The Quill Awards television special will be carried on the 14 NBC Universal Owned and Operated Television Stations and via syndication on Saturday, October 21, 2006.