NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� whose 11-year run as host of 鈥淭he Late Show鈥� was defined in part by his feud with President , has received an 鈥渁nti-censorship鈥� award from a foundation established by the author-playwright-publisher
Colbert was among the recipients of the 47th annual American Book Awards. They were announced Wednesday by the Before Columbus Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Oakland, California, that champions diversity in U.S. literature and culture.
CBS ended Colbert’s program in May, removing a high-profile platform for one of Trump’s most . The network cited economic reasons for its decision. Colbert and others have questioned that explanation.
The foundation also honored a wide range of literary releases, from Nicholas Boggs’ 鈥淏aldwin,鈥� a biography of James Baldwin; to John Fugelsang’s religious critique 鈥淪eparation of Church and Hate鈥� to the poetry collection 鈥淰ariations in Blue,鈥� by Adela Najarro. Novelist-playwright Karen Tei Yamashita received a lifetime achievement prize.
Colbert shares his anti-censorship prize with one of the country’s top independent booksellers, Mitchell Kaplan, founder of Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida. Longtime Grove/Atlantic publisher Morgan Entrekin, as well as Roger Malina, executive editor of the academic journal Leonardo, received editor/publisher awards.
“The American Book Awards were created to provide recognition for outstanding literary achievement from the entire spectrum of America鈥檚 diverse literary community,” the foundation’s announcement reads in part. 鈥淭he award winners range from well-known and established writers to under-recognized authors and first works. There are no quotas for diversity; the winners list simply reflects it as a natural process.鈥�
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