Drew Barrymore dropped as National Book Awards host after her talk show resumes during strike

https://apnews.com/article/national-book-awards-drop-drew-barrymore-strikes-4f2f4f64ed8703a2415a83b83f965616

By HILLEL ITALIE
Updated 6:56 PM CDT, September 12, 2023

NEW YORK (AP) — Drew Barrymore has been dropped as host of the upcoming National Book Awards ceremony, a day after her talk show taped its first episode since the Hollywood writers strike began.

“The National Book Awards is an evening dedicated to celebrating the power of literature, and the incomparable contributions of writers to our culture,” the National Book Foundation, which presents the award, said in a statement Tuesday. “In light of the announcement that ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ will resume production, the National Book Foundation has rescinded Ms. Barrymore’s invitation to host the 74th National Book Awards Ceremony.”

The awards event, sometimes referred to as the Academy Awards of the publishing world, is scheduled for Nov. 15.

Barrymore’s resumption of her CBS talk show doesn’t inherently cause issues with the actors guild, which is also on strike, as daytime talk shows are governed by a different Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Radio and Television Artists contract that was renewed and ratified last year. But Barrymore’s show employs at least three writers who are members of the writers guild, which has been on strike since early May. Those writers were picketing outside the CBS Broadcast Building on Monday.

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