Nicholas A. Basbanes

“No living person has thought more about the extraordinary power

of books than Nicholas Basbanes” —Ellis Henican, Newsday

Kirkus Starred Review   Publisher's Weekly "Best Book"

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BIO

Nicholas A. Basbanes is the author of ten critically acclaimed works of cultural history, with a particular emphasis on various aspects of books and book culture. A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books, his first book, was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for nonfiction in 1995, and was a New York Times Notable Book. On Paper: The Everything of Its Two Thousand Year History (2013, Knopf) was one of three finalists for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction, and was named a best book of the year by seven major publications. 

In 2016, he was awarded a Public Scholar research fellowship by the National Endowment for the Humanities, his second NEH grant, for work on Cross of Snow: A Life of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, forthcoming in June 2020 from Knopf.  He also writes the “Gently Mad” column for Fine Books & Collections magazine, lectures widely on book related subjects, and is a frequent contributor to Humanities magazine and other publications. He and his wife Constance live in North Grafton, Massachusetts.

For more biographical and professional information, and selected links to his published essays, CSPAN television appearances, and NPR radio interviews, see Wikipedia

Other events and signings are planned for the fall. Check back here periodically for details.

CONTACT

Media contact, Kathy Zuckerman, deputy director of promotion and publicity,

Alfred A. Knopf, 212-572-2105, kzuckerman@penguinrandomhouse.com

Literary agent, Glen Hartley,

Writers' Representatives, Inc., 212-620-0023, writersreps.com

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