national book award

The National Book Award finalists have been announced, with authors like Valeria Luiselli and Haitian-American author Edwidge Danticat in the spotlight. Many nominated books tackle issues like gender identity and criminal justice. Danticat's "Dèy" and Luiselli's "Beginning Middle End" are among the fiction finalists. Karl Ove Knausgaard is a finalist in the translation category.

Author Jonathan Escoffery talks with WLRN Sundial’s Carlos Frías about his first book, If I Survive You, which was nominated for a National Book Award. His book of interconnected fictional stories draws on his real experience of a Jamaican family fleeing political oppression and immigrating to Miami — where they confront issues of race, class and crushing economic disparity.

Colson Whitehead and Marlon James headline the longlists of names in contention for the literary prize. Altogether, 50 books across five categories stand a chance at winning in November.

Nunez and Acevedo won for fiction and young people's literature, respectively. The prestigious literary prize also honored Jeffrey C. Stewart, Justin Phillip Reed, Yoko Tawada and Margaret Mitsutani.