§ 8.13. New York state Edith Wharton citation of merit for fiction writers. 1. The governor shall biennially present the New York state Edith Wharton citation of merit to a distinguished New York author upon the recommendation of the panel constituted in this section. The author selected shall be considered the state author and the citation shall carry an honorarium of ten thousand dollars.

2. The institute shall biennially appoint and convene an advisory panel of distinguished authors and persons with particular expertise in the field of fiction. The director of the institute shall be a permanent member of the advisory panel and each current state author shall serve as a member of the panel in choosing the recipient of the next New York state Edith Wharton citation of merit. The panel shall recommend to the governor an author whose achievements make him or her deserving of such recognition.

3. The state author shall promote and encourage fiction within the state and shall give two public readings within the state each year.

4. The institute shall establish such procedures and guidelines as are necessary to effect the provisions of this section.