GalleyCat contributor and eBookNewser editor Dianna Dilworth will be covering the National Book Awards tonight at Cipriani Wall Street. Follow her coverage live on our GalleyCat Twitter feed and on this blog. Below, we’ve linked to free samples of all the National Book Awards finalists.

At the ceremony three years ago, this GalleyCat editor interviewed Sex and the City author Candace Bushnell, NBA finalist Salvatore Scibona, NBA executive director Harold Augenbraum and literary blogger Edward Champion about the Great Recession (video embedded above). The stock market had just plunged 400 points and writers gathered for the awards a few blocks from the New York Stock Exchange.

This year, the city is still divided over Occupy Wall Street eviction and readers around the country wonder about the future Occupy Wall Street library. It should make for an interesting evening.

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Vanity Fair landed an interview with young adult author Lauren Myracle about a major mix-up at the National Book Awards.

Yesterday she withdrew from consideration for the 2011 National Book Awards after an error put Myracle’s Shine on the finalist list instead of Franny Billingsley‘s Chime. On Twitter, writers and readers have rallied behind Myracle at the #isupportshine hashtag. In the interview, she described the dreaded phone call from executive director Harold Augenbraum.

She explained: “He was diplomatic, but he more or less said that the position was being changed and that people wanted Shine off the list. And how did I feel about that? I felt gutted. I felt embarrassed, and ashamed that I had the gall to believe that this book was worthy. So over the weekend came the question of, Do I withdraw, or do I let them strip it from me? I first thought: They made the mistake; they can clean it up. Then I realized that I had a chance to either be classy or be seen as someone gripping with white knuckles to something they didn’t want me to have. And I was going to be taken off the list regardless.”

The National Book Award finalists were revealed today on the Think Out Loud radio show. We live blogged all the action. Below, we’ve linked to free samples of all the finalists.

Here’s more about the announcement: “The twenty Finalists for the 62nd National Book Awards will be announced on Oregon Public Broadcasting’s morning radio program, Think Out Loud, in front of a live audience at the new Literary Arts Center in Portland, Oregon.”

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The National Book Foundation (NBF) announced that Gore Vidal will receive the 2009 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters and Dave Eggers will receive the 2009 Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community.

Both awards will be given out at the 60th National Book Awards Ceremony in New York City on November 18, an evening hosted by writer and actor Andy Borowitz. Vidal will be the twentieth author to receive his prestigious award, which was shared by writers like Joan Didion, Norman Mailer, and Toni Morrison.

National Book Foundation executive director Harold Augenbraum had this statement: ““Vidal and Eggers have made a significant impact on the literary culture of the United States, in two very distinct eras. Although one could call both ‘men of letters,’ their approaches to their craft and to their writing and public lives can be described as very distinctive models of the American artiste engagé.” (Editor’s note: The headline of this post has changed.)

Though it didn’t quite happen at exactly 10 AM EST as the National Book Foundation‘s website promised (10:12 by my clock, admittedly on the fast side) the people who bring you the National Book Awards (the nominees of which will be announced in Philadelphia on October 10 and co-hosted by Camille Paglia) have announced their lifetime achievement winners. Joan Didion will receive the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Michael Cunningham will present. Terry Gross is being honored with the Literarian Award For Outstanding Service to the Literary Community. Ira Glass, host and producer of National Public Radio’s THIS AMERICAN LIFE, will present.

In making the announcements, Harold Augenbraum, executive director of the Foundation, said, “These two women are icons in the literary world and their contributions are now legendary – Joan Didion as one of the keenest observers and finest prose stylists of our time and Terry Gross as one of the most intelligent voices on the airwaves and one of the few who devotes hundreds of hours a year to talking about books and literature. Both women are fearless in their questioning and their insights on the page and on the air have informed our understanding of America and of America’s writers for decades. Our Board of Directors is honored that they will accept these awards and grace our gala with their presence.”