The Authors Guild Foundation Gala honors those who have made significant contributions to the literary community, champion free expression, advance the interests of writers, and foster a culture that values the written word.
2025 Gala
On April 7, 2025 at Gotham Hall, the Authors Guild Foundation honored the power of literature and free expression with a star-studded evening celebrating three literary icons. Hosted by Saturday Night Live‘s Ego Nwodim, the event paid tribute to Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Robert A. Caro, acclaimed novelist and poet Sandra Cisneros, and celebrated author Salman Rushdie. Caro received the Preston Award for Distinguished Service to the Literary Community; Cisneros was presented with the Baldacci Award for Literary Activism by author Xochitl Gonzalez; and Rushdie accepted the Champion of Writers Award from poet and photographer Rachel Eliza Griffiths. The evening also featured remarks from Authors Guild President W. Ralph Eubanks, CEO Mary Rasenberger, and Foundation Board President Marie Arana, all underscoring the Authors Guild Foundation’s mission to protect writers’ rights and preserve the freedom to tell the stories that shape our world.