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National Book Awards 2011

The 2011 National Book Awards went to Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward (Fiction), The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt (Nonfiction) and Head Off & Split by Nikky Finney (Poetry), with winners in 1 more category. 20 books were finalists across 4 categories.

Winners

Fiction

  1. Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Wardsource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblattsource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. Head Off & Split by Nikky Finneysource (opens in a new tab)

Young People's Literature

  1. Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Laisource (opens in a new tab)

Finalists

Fiction

  1. Binocular Vision: New & Selected Stories by Edith Pearlmansource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsukasource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Sojourn by Andrew Kriváksource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obrehtsource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. Love and Capital: Karl and Jenny Marx and the Birth of a Revolution by Mary Gabrielsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention by Manning Marablesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie, A Tale of Love and Fallout by Lauren Rednisssource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Convert: A Tale of Exile and Extremism by Deborah Bakersource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. Devotions by Bruce Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Double Shadow by Carl Phillipssource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Chameleon Couch by Yusef Komunyakaasource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Tonight No Poetry Will Serve: Poems 2007-2010 by Adrienne Richsource (opens in a new tab)

Young People's Literature

  1. Chime by Franny Billingsleysource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Flesh & Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy by Albert Marrinsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. My Name Is Not Easy by Debby Dahl Edwardsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidtsource (opens in a new tab)

About the National Book Awards

From nationalbook.org year pages. Each book appears once, at its highest tier, as the Foundation lists it: longlisted books that became finalists or winners are listed only at that tier. Longlists began in 2013; Translated Literature began in 2018. Translated Literature entries name the original author as author and the translator(s) as translator.

Organization: National Book Foundation. Years are award years, which can differ from publication years. Official site (opens in a new tab)

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