Article by Colin Dwyer
October, 2017
It began with more than 1,500 books.
With all the works submitted by publishers, the judges for this year’s National Book Awards have had their hands (and bookshelves) full the past few months. But that daunting number of contenders winnowed further Wednesday, as the National Book Foundation announced the finalists for its literary prize — just five works each in four categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry and young people’s literature.
Elana K. Arnold, “What Girls Are Made Of”
Robin Benway, “Far from the Tree”
Erika L. Sánchez, “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter”
Rita Williams-Garcia, “Clayton Byrd Goes Underground”
Ibi Zoboi, “American Street”
The finalists of the National Book Awards are chosen by a panel of five judges for each category. Their decisions are made independently of the National Book Foundation’s staff and board of directors.
Read more about the other categories here…
