The National Book Awards Ceremony took place last week, with novelist and award-winning children’s book author Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) as host. Winners included Phil Klay, for his novel, Redeployment; Evan Osnos, for his work of nonfiction, Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China; Louise Glück for her poetry collection, Faithful and Virtuous Night; and Jacqueline Woodson for her young people’s literature book, Brown Girl Dreaming.

In addition, science fiction writer Ursula K. Le Guin received the Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters (which was presented by Neil Gaiman), and Kyle Zimmer, who founded First Book, a nonprofit that distributes books to children from low-income families, received the Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community.

Le Guin, 85, according to The Los Angeles Times, “stole the show” with her acceptance speech, in which she championed genre fiction, made a jab at Amazon’s recent dispute with the book publisher, Hachette, and argued that “We who live by writing and publishing want and should demand our fair share of the proceeds; but the name of our beautiful reward isn’t profit. Its name is freedom.” Read the full transcript or watch the video recording.

The ceremony’s host, Daniel Handler (author of the Lemony Snicket Series of Unfortunate Events books), was rebuked widely across Twitter and news media for racial jokes he made at Jacqueline Woodson’s expense while presenting her award. He has since apologized and committed to donate up to $100,000 to We Need Diverse Books, a grassroots organization “dedicated to advocating and supporting non-majority narratives.”

Visit nationalbook.org to view acceptance speeches, short- and longlists for each award, and more.

Pictured above, left to right: Phil Klay, Evan Osnos, Louise Glück, and Jacqueline Woodson. Photo by Robin Platzer / Twin Images / AP