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Alexie declines Carnegie Medal amid harassment allegations
US-based author Sherman Alexie has declined the American Library Association’s 2018 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Non-Fiction following the emergence of sexual harassment accusations against him. Meanwhile, Alexie's US publisher, Hachette Book Group, has said it will be postponing the paperback edition of the winning book.
Alexie was revealed as the winner of the literary award on 11th February for his book You Don't Have to Say You Love Me: A Memoir (Little, Brown), and was due to attend a reception at the ALA Annual Conference to accept it in June.
ALA officials told Publishers Weekly that they were told about Alexie's decision through his agent. It is unclear whether the author was in discussions with ALA about the award, or if he took the decision on his own, preemptively.
"We acknowledge his decision," said a statement from the ALA, "and will not award the Carnegie nonfiction medal in 2018.”
When asked about the allegations against Alexie last month, the ALA said it had “recently learned of these concerning allegations against Sherman Alexie" and would be "evaluating [its] next steps as more information becomes available".
Meanwhile, Alexie's publisher, Hachette Book Group, said it was postponing the paperback edition of You Don't Have To Say You Love Me: A Memoir, at Alexie's request. The publisher will keep the rest of Alexie's titles in print.
A HBG spokesperson said the publisher was "surprised and troubled to hear the allegations that have recently emerged [against Alexie], and are concerned about the distress this situation has caused so many."
The statement went on to say that HBG was "encouraged" that Alexie has apologised to those he has hurt and that he has "dedicated himself to becoming a healthier man."
