Without a necktie, the president of the New York Public Library, Paul LeClerc, rose from his seat Monday night, among some 250 of the library’s Young Lions (many of whom wore neckties), to announce the winner of the 2008 Young Lions Fiction Award: The author of “God Is Dead,” Ron Currie Jr.

Mr. Currie of Waterville, Maine, won over four other finalists: Ellen Litman, Peter Nathaniel Malae, Dinaw Mengestu, and Emily Mitchell.

“I knew he would get it,” Mr. Currie’s mother, Barbara Currie, said moments after the announcement, joining others in a standing ovation.

At the podium, Mr. Currie said “wow” and expressed other, more literary sentiments, including thanks to his agent, Simon Lipskar of Writers House, and his editor, Molly Stern of Viking.

It was a triumphant moment, worth $10,000 to Mr. Currie, but for this serious audience of readers, it was not the event’s highlight.

Preceding Mr. LeClerc’s announcement was an hour or so of readings of the finalists’ works by actors Brian O’Byrne, Ethan Hawke, Amanda Peet, and Michael Shannon.

Mr. Hawke, a founder of the Young Lions, choreographed the program, and took pride in his part in bringing attention to “creators of beautiful things,” as he called the finalists. He also set an example of respect and concentration during the readings. Happily, it was mirrored throughout the audience.

The last of Mr. Currie’s words that Mr. O’Byrne read were “It seemed like the best of a host of bad prospects.”

But the event defied the idea of that sentence.

As Mr. LeClerc said, “The talent here shows just how great this generation is. This is a terribly important reminder of hope.”

Mr. Currie is at work on an as-yet-untitled second book, to be published by Viking, which will probably be out in about a year. “It is equally audacious in concept and equally powerful and moving in human terms as ‘God Is Dead,'” Mr. Lipskar said in a telephone interview yesterday.