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American Library Association · award year

Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence 2016

The 2016 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence went to The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen (Fiction) and Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs by Sally Mann (Nonfiction). 6 books were finalists and 40 books made the longlist across 2 categories.

Winners

Fiction

  1. The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyensource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs by Sally Mannsource (opens in a new tab)

Finalists

Fiction

  1. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagiharasource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Book of Aron by Jim Shepardsource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. H Is for Hawk by Helen Macdonaldsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World by Andrea Wulfsource (opens in a new tab)

Longlist

Fiction

  1. A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tylersource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Best Boy by Eli Gottliebsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. City on Fire by Garth Risk Hallbergsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Delicious Foods by James Hannahamsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Cleggsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Honeydew by Edith Pearlmansource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Marvel and a Wonder by Joe Menosource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Mothers, Tell Your Daughters by Bonnie Jo Campbellsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Outline by Rachel Cusksource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Prudence by David Treuersource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Purity by Jonathan Franzensource (opens in a new tab)
  12. The Distant Marvels by Chantel Acevedosource (opens in a new tab)
  13. The Dying Grass by William T. Vollmannsource (opens in a new tab)
  14. The Green Road by Anne Enrightsource (opens in a new tab)
  15. The Harder They Come by T. C. Boylesource (opens in a new tab)
  16. The Visiting Privilege: New and Collected Stories by Joy Williamssource (opens in a new tab)
  17. Welcome to Braggsville by T. Geronimo Johnsonsource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. American Reckoning: The Vietnam War and Our National Identity by Christian G. Appysource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coatessource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel by Carl Safinasource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death, and Brain Surgery by Henry Marshsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Empire of Self: A Life of Gore Vidal by Jay Parinisource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America by Ari Bermansource (opens in a new tab)
  7. How the World Moves: The Odyssey of an American Indian Family by Peter Nabokovsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Listening to Stone: The Art and Life of Isamu Noguchi by Hayden Herrerasource (opens in a new tab)
  9. M Train by Patti Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. On the Move by Oliver Sackssource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Pacific: Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators, Fading Empires, and the Coming Collision of the World's Superpowers by Simon Winchestersource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Showdown: Thurgood Marshall and the Supreme Court Nomination That Changed America by Wil Haygoodsource (opens in a new tab)
  13. Something Must Be Done about Prince Edward County: A Family, a Virginia Town, a Civil Rights Battle by Kristen Greensource (opens in a new tab)
  14. The Age of Acquiescence: The Life and Death of American Resistance to Organized Wealth and Power by Steve Frasersource (opens in a new tab)
  15. The Witches: Salem, 1692 by Stacy Schiffsource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Thieves of State: Why Corruption Threatens Global Security by Sarah Chayessource (opens in a new tab)
  17. To Explain the World: The Discovery of Modern Science by Steven Weinbergsource (opens in a new tab)

About the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence

Winners, finalists (the shortlist) and longlists from ALA's per-year Carnegie Medals pages. The medals began in 2012. Winners also appear on their year's shortlist; each book is stored once per year at its highest level. No nonfiction medal was awarded in 2018 after Sherman Alexie declined it, so that year has three nonfiction finalists and no winner.

Organization: American Library Association. Years are award years, which can differ from publication years. Official site (opens in a new tab)

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