On May 28, Kirkus Reviews, the esteemed book industry publication, unveiled the brand new The Kirkus Prize, one of the richest literary awards in the world—with a prize of $50,000 bestowed to authors in the categories of fiction, nonfiction, and young readers literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning criticism produced by Kirkus Reviews. Claiborne Smith, editor-in-chief of Kirkus Reviews, says, “At a moment when the publishing industry is rebounding from the recession and adapting to the many changes thrust upon it, we wanted to create the Kirkus Prize to put a spotlight on writers who remind all of us why we got into publishing in the first place.” Books that earned the Kirkus Star with publication dates between October 1, 2013, and September 30, 2014, are automatically nominated for the 2014 Kirkus Prize. Six finalists in each category—fiction, nonfiction, and young readers’ literature—will be announced on September 30, 2014. The three winners of the $50,000 prize awards will be announced at a special ceremony in Austin, Texas on October 23. “Since relaunching Kirkus Reviews in 2010, the company has enjoyed tremendous growth," Marc Winkelman, president and publisher of Kirkus Media, says. "Everyone at Kirkus feels a deep responsibility to our readers and the publishing industry; this prize is a symbol of that commitment.”