Sunday, millions of people tuned in to watch the 78th Annual Academy Awards and witnessed the numerous honors being bestowed on the many talented people that make up the film industry. Considering that there are only as many as five nominees for each category and how many films are made and released each year, these nominations are a tremendous honor to few who receive them.

Now, imagine all of the books that get published each year, from trashy romance novels to thick anthologies. Among the many genres of literature, each year new books are released that have a great impact on their readers and sometimes the greater society. Some authors and their work get the credit they deserve, while others are often overlooked.

If it were not for the Academy Awards, “Crash” surely would not have received the attention it has gotten, despite its truly remarkable story and the many talented writers, actors, and directors that brought it to fruition. Now that "Crash" has just won best picture, cast members and fans of the film hope that more people will see it.

Despite its superiority over many other films made this past year, "Crash" never ranked better than fourth in the box office, while Vin Diesel's "The Pacifier" ranked first its opening weekend. And while it was probably a cute children's movie, the quality of it just does not compare to that of "Crash" and its fellow nominees.

The New York Times Best Sellers List gives national recognition to books that have caught the eye of the public. Similar to the box office ratings, it advertises the most popular works of literature, which may or not be the best books out there. We grew up reading books that were recipients of the Caldecott or Newbery awards.

Naturally, there are quite a number of equally prestigious awards for adult literature each year. So I thought I would present a literature version of the Academy Awards with the assistance of the National Book Foundation, which annually presents the National Book Awards (NBA). With only four categories — fiction, nonfiction, poetry and young people's literature — versus the seemingly countess film categories presented Sunday night, the NBA is a very prestigious honor.

Many of the winners and nominees are titles relatively unknown to many. The few titles from past years that are recognizable are usually made so by the major motion pictures they have inspired, like "Cold Mountain" by Charles Frazier that won the 1997 NBA for non-fiction. Elementary education majors and other children's lit aficionados may recognize many of the more recent nominees for young person's literature from our children's literature reading list.

I know you're all dying with anticipation to find out who the 2005 winners of the National Book Award are. So, a drum roll, please, as the nominees and their works are presented.

The nominees for best work of fiction are: E.L. Doctorow, "The March"; Mary Gaitskill, "Veronica"; Christopher Sorrentino, "Trance"; Rene Steinke, "Holy Skirts"; and William T. Vollmann, "Europe Central."

And the winner for best work of fiction is William T. Vollmann for "Europe Central." William T. Vollmann is the author of seven novels and one nonfiction work. His publisher, Viking, released the following description of the award-winning "Europe Central": "A mesmerizing series of intertwined stories that compare and contrast the moral decisions made by various figures associated with the warring authoritarian cultures of Germany and the Soviet Union in the twentieth century."

The nominees for best work of nonfiction are: Alan Burdick, "Out of Eden: An Odyssey of Ecological Invasion"; Leo Damrosch, "Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Restless Genius"; Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn, "102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers"; Joan Didion, "The Year of Magical Thinking"; and Adam Hochschild, "Bury the Chains: Prophets and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire's Slaves."

And the winner for Best Work of Nonfiction is Joan Didion for "The Year of Magical Thinking." This is Joan's eighth work of nonfiction in her writing career. Her publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, released this statement about "The Year of Magical Thinking": "A stunning book of electric honesty and passion. Joan Didion explores an intensely personal yet universal experience: a portrait of a marriage and the life that surrounds it, in good times and bad."

The nominees for best book of poetry are John Ashbery, "Where Shall I Wander"; Frank Bidart, "Star Dust: Poems"; Brendan Galvin, "Habitat: New and Selected Poems, 1965-2005"; W. S. Merwin, "Migration: New and Selected Poems"; and Vern Rutsala, "The Moment's Equation."

And the winner for best book of poetry is W. S. Merwin for "Migration: New and Selected Poems." This is Merwin's eighth NBA nomination over his five-decade career as a poet; he was a Pulitzer Prize winner in 1970. From his publisher, Copper Canyon Press: "In his career, Merwin has migrated within the universe of poetry, moving from solidly constructed, tactile, and dramatic works to airy, abstract, unpunctuated, and contemplative poems, a journey beautifully mapped here in selections from 15 previous collections, capped by a gathering of new poems."

The nominees for our last category of the night, best work of young people's literature, are Jeanne Birdsall, "The Penderwicks"; Adele Griffin, "Where I Want to Be"; Chris Lynch, "Inexcusable"; Walter Dean Myers, "Autobiography of My Dead Brother"; and Deborah Wiles, "Each Little Bird that Sings."

And the winner for best work of young people's literature is Jeanne Birdsall for "The Penderwicks." This is a great honor for Jeanne and her first published book. Her publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, describes "The Penderwicks" as, "A lighthearted story of four girls and their father, a gentle, widowed botany professor who allows his daughters their freedom but is always nearby when they need comfort or support."

Thus concludes the 2005 National Book Awards, for further information on both the nominees and winners, please visit the National Book Foundation's website: www.nationalbook.org/nbawinners2000.html.

Thousands of books are submitted annually for the National Book Award. To be nominated in the top five of any category is a great accomplishment, just as it is to be nominated for an Oscar. It is a significant accomplishment for the new authors being honored as well as the veterans. With spring break upon us, many will take the opportunity to see movies honored at the Academy Awards. I hope students will also take advantage of the week of relaxation and look into reading some of the award-winning literature they may have previously overlooked.

Meghan Dunlap is a junior majoring in Spanish and elementary education. If you agree that the aforementioned books are excellent reads or just have an idea for a future column, please e-mail her at [email protected].