Young Lions Fiction Award

Zachary Mason's The Lost Books of the Odyssey has been chosen as a finalist in the New York Public Library's ninth annual Young Lions Fiction Award.

The award honors the works of authors age 35 and under who are making an indelible impression on the world of literature. The winning writer will be awarded a $10,000 prize on March 16, 2009 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 is given annually to an American writer age 35 or younger for either a novel or collection of short stories. Each year five young fiction writers are selected as finalists by a reading committee of Young Lions members, writers, editors, and librarians. A panel of award judges, including novelist Lore Segal, and last year's winner Ron Currie, Jr. (who won for God Is Dead), will select the winner of the $10,000 prize.