National Book Awards: The literary world’s Grammys!

The National Book Awards has announced the 25 finalists for Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature amidst a record number of submissions.
The National Book Awards were established in the 1950s as a way to celebrate the best writers across the United States and secure literature as a notable part of society.
“Since 1989, the Awards have been overseen by the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to celebrate the best literature published in the United States, expand its audience, and ensure that books have a prominent place in our culture,” per The National Book Foundation.
For the 2024 competition, five finalists were selected for each category through a panel of judges, and on Nov. 20, a winner will be announced. Each finalist will receive a $1,000 prize, and the winners of their respective categories will receive $10,000 and a bronze sculpture, according to The National Book Foundation.
According to The National Book Foundation, submissions open in March for the coveted competition. Only publishers are allowed to submit books directly for admission into the National Book Awards. Authors cannot submit books directly.
“Publishers must submit titles via the online entry form by the mid-May deadline, along with an entry fee of $135 per title. Publishers must provide both digital and hard copies of each submitted title in order to guarantee consideration. For further details on the submissions process, please full please see our guidelines,” per The National Book Foundation.
Publishers submitted 1,917 books for this year’s National Book Awards, per Publishing Perspectives.
Book enthusiasts, get ready for the literary world’s Grammys!