The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books kicked off its weekend-long celebration of ideas, creativity and the written word with the 34th Annual Book Prizes. Held tonight at the University of Southern California's iconic Bovard Auditorium and hosted by The Times' book critic David L. Ulin, the ceremony honored the year's best works from among 50 distinguished finalists in 10 categories.
Susan Straight, a tireless supporter and creator of Southern California literary culture, was this year's recipient of the Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement. The Innovator's Award, which spotlights cutting-edge business models, technology or applications of narrative art, was presented to writer and activist John Green.
The complete list of 2013 finalists and previous winners, as well as eligibility and judging information, can be found at latimes.com/bookprizes.
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