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The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize 2016

The 2016 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize went to The Castle Cross the Magnet Carter by Kia Corthron. 7 books made the shortlist and 25 the longlist.

Winner

  1. The Castle Cross the Magnet Carter by Kia Corthronsource (opens in a new tab)

Shortlist

  1. Here Comes the Sun by Nicole Dennis-Bennsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasisource (opens in a new tab)
  3. How I Became a North Korean by Krys Leesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Girls by Emma Clinesource (opens in a new tab)
  5. We Love You, Charlie Freeman by Kaitlyn Greenidgesource (opens in a new tab)
  6. What Belongs to You by Garth Greenwellsource (opens in a new tab)

Longlist

  1. All Joe Knight by Kevin Morrissource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Another Place You've Never Been by Rebecca Kauffmansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. As Close to Us as Breathing by Elizabeth Polinersource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Dodgers by Bill Beverlysource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Girl Through Glass by Sari Wilsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Hurt People by Cote Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Shelter by Jung Yunsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Stork Mountain by Miroslav Penkovsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Sweetgirl by Travis Mulhausersource (opens in a new tab)
  10. The Alaskan Laundry by Brendan Jonessource (opens in a new tab)
  11. The Lightkeepers by Abby Genisource (opens in a new tab)
  12. The Longest Night by Andria Williamssource (opens in a new tab)
  13. The Mirror Thief by Martin Seaysource (opens in a new tab)
  14. The Regional Office is Under Attack! by Manuel Gonzalessource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Thomas Jefferson Dreams of Sally Hemings by Stephen O'Connorsource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Tuesday Nights in 1980 by Molly Prentisssource (opens in a new tab)
  17. Work Like Any Other by Virginia Reevessource (opens in a new tab)
  18. Wreck and Order by Hannah Tennant-Mooresource (opens in a new tab)

About the The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize

Winner, shortlist and longlist from The Center for Fiction's per-year First Novel Prize pages (book-recs/<year>-first-novel-prize). The live site blocks automated requests, so pages were read from web.archive.org snapshots of those official URLs. Year is the prize year: debuts published that calendar year, winner announced each December. Longlists appear on the Center's pages from 2013 on; 2006-2012 list winner and shortlist only. The prize was called the John Sargent, Sr. First Novel Prize (2006-2009) and the Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize (2010-2014). Author-name typos on the pages (Hines, Gradeon, Kristin Valdez Quade, Forouton) are corrected.

Organization: The Center for Fiction. Years are award years, which can differ from publication years. Official site (opens in a new tab)

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