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American Library Association · award year

Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence 2021

The 2021 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence went to Deacon King Kong by James McBride (Fiction) and Fathoms: The World in the Whale by Rebecca Giggs (Nonfiction). 6 books were finalists and 46 books made the longlist across 2 categories.

Winners

Fiction

  1. Deacon King Kong by James McBridesource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. Fathoms: The World in the Whale by Rebecca Giggssource (opens in a new tab)

Finalists

Fiction

  1. A Burning by Megha Majumdarsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtarsource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. Just Us: An American Conversation by Claudia Rankinesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Memorial Drive: A Daughter's Memoir by Natasha Tretheweysource (opens in a new tab)

Longlist

Fiction

  1. Apeirogon by Colum McCannsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Bring Me the Head of Quentin Tarantino by Julián Herbert, translated by Christina MacSweeneysource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Crooked Hallelujah by Kelli Jo Fordsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Echo on the Bay by Masatsugu Ono, translated by Angus Turvillsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrellsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Here We Are by Graham Swiftsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor, translated by Sophie Hughessource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Interior Chinatown by Charles Yusource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Jack by Marilynne Robinsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Luster by Raven Leilanisource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Memorial by Bryan Washingtonsource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Parakeet by Marie-Helene Bertinosource (opens in a new tab)
  13. Pew by Catherine Laceysource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Red Dress in Black and White by Elliot Ackermansource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Run Me to Earth by Paul Yoonsource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuartsource (opens in a new tab)
  17. The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandelsource (opens in a new tab)
  18. The Last Great Road Bum by Héctor Tobarsource (opens in a new tab)
  19. The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrichsource (opens in a new tab)
  20. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennettsource (opens in a new tab)
  21. Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasisource (opens in a new tab)
  22. Utopia Avenue by David Mitchellsource (opens in a new tab)
  23. Weather by Jenny Offillsource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkersonsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Conditional Citizens: On Belonging in America by Laila Lalamisource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Eat the Buddha: Life and Death in a Tibetan Town by Barbara Demicksource (opens in a new tab)
  4. God's Shadow: Sultan Selim, His Ottoman Empire, and the Making of the Modern World by Alan Mikhailsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolkersource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman, translated by Elizabeth Manton and Erica Mooresource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hongsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. My Autobiography of Carson McCullers by Jenn Shaplandsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. One Mighty and Irresistible Tide: The Epic Struggle over American Immigration, 1924-1965 by Jia Lynn Yangsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Paper Bullets: Two Artists Who Risked Their Lives to Defy the Nazis by Jeffrey H. Jacksonsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Recollections of My Nonexistence by Rebecca Solnitsource (opens in a new tab)
  12. The Beauty in Breaking by Michele Harpersource (opens in a new tab)
  13. The Book of Eels: Our Enduring Fascination with the Most Mysterious Creatures in the Natural World by Patrik Svenssonsource (opens in a new tab)
  14. The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X by Les Payne and Tamara Paynesource (opens in a new tab)
  15. The Dragons, the Giant, the Women by Wayétu Mooresource (opens in a new tab)
  16. The King of Confidence: A Tale of Utopian Dreamers, Frontier Schemers, True Believers, False Prophets, and the Murder of an American Monarch by Miles Harveysource (opens in a new tab)
  17. The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicenciosource (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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