Announcing the 2025 National Book Awards Finalists

Today, the 25 Finalists for the 2025 National Book Awards have been revealed. These awards celebrate outstanding works in five categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature. The finalists were chosen by an esteemed panel of judges, following the release of the Longlists in September in collaboration with The New Yorker.

2025 National Book Awards Finalists

This year, nine writers among the finalists have previously been honored by the National Book Foundation. Notable names include:

• Rabih Alameddine
• Megha Majumdar
• Karen Russell
• Bryan Washington
• Patricia Smith
• Solvej Balle
• Kyle Lukoff
• Amber McBride
• Ibi Zoboi

All finalists in the Nonfiction category are first-time nominees.

Events and Activities

The finalists will read excerpts from their works during the National Book Awards Finalist Reading on November 18 at NYU Skirball. The event will be hosted by Michelle Zauner, bestselling author and musician.

On the same day, an event called Teens Read the 2025 National Book Awards will connect finalists in Young People’s Literature with students. This program is hosted by Casey McQuiston, a prominent author, and will feature readings, Q&A sessions, and book signings at Symphony Space in New York City.

Important Dates

The winners of the National Book Awards will be announced live on November 19 during the 76th National Book Awards Ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street. This event is invite-only but will be livestreamed for a wider audience.

Prize Information

Winners receive $10,000, a bronze medal, and a statue. Finalists are awarded $1,000 and a bronze medal. Notably, winners and finalists in the Translated Literature category will equally share the prize between the author and translator.

Additionally, two lifetime achievement awards will be presented. George Saunders will receive the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, while Roxane Gay will receive the Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community.

Submissions and Judging

This year, there were 1,835 submissions across all categories:

• Fiction: 434 books
• Nonfiction: 652 books
• Poetry: 285 books
• Translated Literature: 139 books
• Young People’s Literature: 325 books

Judges’ decisions are made independently, and their deliberations remain confidential.

Finalists Across Categories

Fiction

• Rabih Alameddine – *The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother)*
• Megha Majumdar – *A Guardian and a Thief*
• Karen Russell – *The Antidote*
• Ethan Rutherford – *North Sun: Or, the Voyage of the Whaleship Esther*
• Bryan Washington – *Palaver*

Nonfiction

• Omar El Akkad – *One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This*
• Julia Ioffe – *Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy*
• Yiyun Li – *Things in Nature Merely Grow*
• Claudia Rowe – *Wards of the State: The Long Shadow of American Foster Care*
• Jordan Thomas – *When It All Burns: Fighting Fire in a Transformed World*

Poetry

• Gabrielle Calvocoressi – *The New Economy*
• Cathy Linh Che – *Becoming Ghost*
• Tiana Clark – *Scorched Earth*
• Richard Siken – *I Do Know Some Things*
• Patricia Smith – *The Intentions of Thunder: New and Selected Poems*

Translated Literature

• Solvej Balle – *On the Calculation of Volume (Book III)*
• Gabriela Cabezón Cámara – *We Are Green and Trembling*
• Anjet Daanje – *The Remembered Soldier*
• Hamid Ismailov – *We Computers: A Ghazal Novel*
• Neige Sinno – *Sad Tiger*

Young People’s Literature

• Kyle Lukoff – *A World Worth Saving*
• Amber McBride – *The Leaving Room*
• Daniel Nayeri – *The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story*
• Hannah V. Sawyerr – *Truth Is*
• Ibi Zoboi – *(S)Kin*

Stay tuned for further updates as the awards ceremony approaches!