The Edgar Awards, by Stephanie Sorensen

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On Thursday, April 30, the annual Edgar Awards were held at the Grand Hyatt in New York. The awards are sponsored by the preeminent mystery writers organization in the U.S., the Mystery Writers of America, and the statuette is an eerie bust (think John Waters but with longer hair) of Edgar Allen Poe. (Click here for a photo of Putnam's bestselling author, Sue Grafton, accepting the 2009 Grand Master award from Otto Penzler, owner of The Mysterious Bookshop) The unique aspect of the Edgars is that it is, and always has been, a place where the biggest names in the mystery world (Sue Grafton, Lee Child, Harlan Coben) companionably and accessibly wander about, chatting with aspiring and first-time mystery writers. It is often said that the mystery writer community is the warmest and most supportive of its own, and at this year's banquet, the current President of the Mystery Writers Association, Lee Child, exhorted bestselling authors to give blurbs and advice and all manner of support to up-and-coming writers--especially needed in the current economic period.

As a second-time attendee of the awards, I marveled anew at the myriad ways in which black velvet can be fashioned into apparel: dresses, elbow-length gloves, full suits (is there a Mystery Lovers' Clothing store that I don't know about?). Mystery lovers revel in the dramatic -- in glamour, noir and things a bit off-kilter (as all those who saw the presentation of Best Novel by one Miss Skye Moody can attest--I'm sure we will all remember her dramatic recitation from the podium of the lyrics of Leonard Cohen), and as such, it is one of the most wonderful and entertaining evening among awards ceremonies. The bonhomie and love of drama make for a great night out. I encourage you to check out the winners of this year's awards and consider picking up books by some of the nominees and winners -- for myself, I plan to get a copy of the YR novel, Paper Towns, by the witty and modest John Green, asap. If you love mysteries, consider donning a pair of elbow-length gloves (or a velvet bow-tie, gents) and registering for next year's banquet!

Posted by: Stephanie Sorensen, Co-Director of Publicity

Stephanie Sorensen, The Edgar Awards, Penguin Bloggers, Penguin Books