The bimonthly token award ceremony to ease the existential trepidations of writers wide and far has once again taken place, this time under the supervision of the National Book Critics Circle who have announced their champions of 2007. The decision came after several days filled with bloodshed and crying while trying to sift through the many fine publications that popped out of the pervious year.

Warm surprises include the ineffably talented Mary Jo Bang taking the poetry prize, while New Yorker scribe Alex Ross won (again) for his musings on modern classical music with The Rest is Noise.

The big news, however, is saved for last as local MIT professor Junot Diaz won the fiction prize for his incredible debut novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Bostonist spoke to Diaz back in September predicting incoming awards from the get go. The NBCC award is one of the top three most esteemed literary awards in the country, following the National Book Award, but preceding a firm handshake from the ghost of Mark Twain.

Post contributed by Brian Foley.