The Quill Award was an American literary award that ran for three years, from 2005 to 2007. It was a "consumer-driven award created to inspire reading while promoting literacy".[1]
The Quills Foundation, the organization behind the award, was supported by a number of notable media corporations, including Reed Business Information, then parent of Publishers Weekly, and NBC Universal Television Stations, along with Parade Magazine, Borders, Barnes & Noble, and the American Booksellers Association.[citation needed]
In February 2008, Reed Business Information announced plans to dissolve the awards program and distribute the remaining Foundation funds to non-profit organizations First Book and Literacy Partners.[2] Reed declined to give reasons for the suspension,[3][4] but the awards had produced little effect on book sales, and the televised ceremonies were criticized for being too long and poorly planned.[3][5]
Winners were selected through a two-part process involving nomination by industry experts and final selection by consumer votes. To be eligible for nomination, a book had to be published in English during the previous year and be included in at least one industry or sponsor listing.[6]
Readers selected the winners from among the five nominees selected by the board for each category. For the 2007 edition, however, the choice by public vote was restricted to book of the year, and winners in other categories were chosen by retailers and librarians.[5]
The foundation awarded a Quills Corporate Literacy Award to Verizon for its support of literacy programs in the United States.[7]
