Drew Barrymore Dropped As National Book Awards Host After Resuming Talk Show During Strike

Drew Barrymore has been dropped as the host of the upcoming National Book Awards ceremony.

The news comes in 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 “In light of the announcement that ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ will resume production, the National Book Foundation has rescinded Ms.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, referred to sometimes as the Academy Awards of the publishing world, is scheduled for November 15h.

Barrymore’s resumption of her show does not 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.

“The only people I know for sure that are not going back are us three WGA writers. And the rest, I can’t really speak for,” Chelsea White, one of the show’s writers, said on the picket line. “I think first and foremost, this is obviously way bigger than just ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ and writers. We are out here standing with our union and feeling great and excited always to stand with our union.”

Barrymore has attracted criticism from founding members of both guilds for crossing the picket line from Colson Whitehead, Alexander Chee and other authors who questioned if she should remain as the host of the National Book Awards.

The fourth season of the talk show is slated to start airing September 18th. In an Instagram post on Sunday, Barrymore stated that she ““making the choice to come back for the first time in this strike for our show, that may have my name on it but this is bigger than just me.”

“I own this choice,” she added, continuing that they would comply with the strikes by not discussing or promoting struck work.

She also mentioned writers in her post.

“I want to be there to provide what writers do so well, which is a way to bring us together or help us make sense of the human experience,” she wrote.

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