The Quill Award was an American literary award that lasted for three years, from 2005 to 2007. It was an award started by readers to encourage reading and help improve literacy.

The Quills Foundation, the group behind the award, received support from several well-known media companies, including Reed Business Information, which was the parent company of Publishers Weekly, NBC Universal Television Stations, Parade Magazine, Borders, Barnes & Noble, and the American Booksellers Association.

History

In February 2008, Reed Business Information said it would stop the awards program and give the remaining money from the Foundation to two non-profit groups, First Book and Literacy Partners. Reed did not explain why the program was ending. The awards did not help increase book sales much, and the events shown on TV were criticized for being too long and not well organized.

Selection process

Winners were chosen using a two-step process. First, industry experts nominated books. Then, readers voted to select the final winners. To be considered for nomination, a book had to be published in English the year before and appear on at least one list from an industry group or sponsor.

For each category, the board picked five nominees. Readers then chose the winner from these five. However, in the 2007 edition, public voting was only allowed for the "book of the year" category. Winners in other categories were selected by retailers and librarians.

2007 Quill Award winners

• Best Book of the Year: Angels Fall, Nora Roberts
• Best Debut Author: Diane Setterfield, The Thirteenth Tale
• Best Audiobook: To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee (read by Sissy Spacek)
• Best Children's Illustrated Book: Flotsam, David Wiesner
• Best Children's Chapter Book/Middle Grade: The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznick
• Best Young Adult/Teen Book: Sold, Patricia McCormick
• Best General Fiction Book: The Road, Cormac McCarthy
• Best Graphic Novel: Making Comics, Scott McCloud
• Best Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Book: What the Dead Know, Laura Lippman
• Best Poetry Book: For the Confederate Dead, Kevin Young
• Best Romance Book: Angels Fall, Nora Roberts
• Best Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror Book: The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
• Best Religion/Spirituality Book: Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know – And Doesn't, Stephen Prothero
• Best Biography/Memoir: Einstein: His Life and Universe, Walter Isaacson
• Best Business Book: The No Asshole Rule, Robert I. Sutton
• Best Cooking Book: Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition, Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker
• Best Health/Self-Improvement Book: How Doctors Think, Jerome Groopman, M.D.
• Best History/Current Events/Politics Book: The Assault on Reason, Al Gore
• Best Humor Book: I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence, Amy Sedaris
• Best Sports Book: The Kings of New York, Michael Weinreb

2006 Quill Award winners

• Book of the Year: Don't Make a Black Woman Take off Her Earrings: Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life, Tyler Perry
• Debut Author of the Year: Julie Powell for her work in Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen
• Audio Book: Marley & Me, John Grogan
• Children's Illustrated Book: If You Give a Pig a Party, Laura Joffe Numeroff
• Children's Chapter Book/Middle Grade: The Penultimate Peril, Lemony Snicket
• Young Adult/Teen: Eldest, Christopher Paolini
• General Fiction: A Dirty Job, Christopher Moore
• Graphic Novel: Naruto, Volume 7, Masashi Kishimoto
• Mystery/Suspense/Thriller: Twelve Sharp, Janet Evanovich
• Poetry: Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem, Maya Angelou
• Romance: Blue Smoke, Nora Roberts
• Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror: A Breath of Snow and Ashes, Diana Gabaldon
• Religion/Spirituality: Mama Made the Difference, T. D. Jakes
• Biography/Memoir: Marley & Me, John Grogan
• Business: The Girl's Guide to Being a Boss (Without Being a Bitch): Valuable Lessons, Smart Suggestions, and True Stories for Succeeding as the Chick-in-Charge, Caitlin Friedman and Kimberly Yorio
• Cooking: Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats: A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners, Rachael Ray
• Health/Self Improvement: It's Not Easy Being Green: And Other Things to Consider, Jim Henson
• History/Current Events/Politics: An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore
• Humor: Don't Make a Black Woman Take off Her Earrings: Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life, Tyler Perry
• Sports: Get Your Own Damn Beer, I'm Watching the Game!: A Woman's Guide to Loving Pro Football, Holly Robinson Peete
• Variety Blockbuster Book to Film: The Devil Wears Prada and its film adaptation, author Lauren Weisberger and director David Frankel

2005 Quill Award winners

• Book of the Year: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J. K. Rowling, Mary GrandPré (Illustrator)
• First-Time Author of the Year: Elizabeth Kostova for The Historian
• Audio Book: America, Jon Stewart and the writers of The Daily Show
• Children's Illustrated Book: Runny Babbit, Shel Silverstein
• Children's Chapter Book/Middle Grade: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J. K. Rowling, Mary GrandPré (Illustrator)
• Young Adult/Teen: Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood, Ann Brashares
• General Fiction: The Mermaid Chair, Sue Monk Kidd
• Graphic Novel: Marvel 1602 Volume I, Neil Gaiman, Andy Kubert and Richard Isanove
• Mystery/Suspense/Thriller: Eleven on Top, Janet Evanovich
• Poetry: Let America Be America Again: And Other Poems, Langston Hughes
• Romance: 44 Cranberry Point, Debbie Macomber
• Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror: The Stupidest Angel, Christopher Moore
• Religion and Spirituality: Peace is the Way: Bringing War and Violence to an End, Deepak Chopra
• Biography/Memoir: Chronicles, Vol. 1, Bob Dylan
• Business: Freakonomics, Steven Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
• Cooking: Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Get Real Meals: Eat Healthy Without Going to Extremes, Rachael Ray
• Health and Self-Improvement: He's Just Not That Into You: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys, Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo
• History/Current Events/Politics: 1776, David McCullough
• Humor: America, Jon Stewart and the writers of The Daily Show
• Sports: Faithful: Two Diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season, Stewart O'Nan and Stephen King

The foundation awarded a Quills Corporate Literacy Award to Verizon for its support of literacy programs in the United States.