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National Book Awards 2018

The 2018 National Book Awards went to The Friend by Sigrid Nunez (Fiction), The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke by Jeffrey C. Stewart (Nonfiction) and Indecency by Justin Phillip Reed (Poetry), with winners in 2 more categories. 25 books were finalists and 50 books made the longlist across 5 categories.

Winners

Fiction

  1. The Friend by Sigrid Nunezsource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke by Jeffrey C. Stewartsource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. Indecency by Justin Phillip Reedsource (opens in a new tab)

Translated Literature

  1. The Emissary by Yoko Tawada, translated by Margaret Mitsutanisource (opens in a new tab)

Young People's Literature

  1. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedosource (opens in a new tab)

Finalists

Fiction

  1. A Lucky Man by Jamel Brinkleysource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Florida by Lauren Groffsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkaisource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Where the Dead Sit Talking by Brandon Hobsonsource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. American Eden: David Hosack, Botany, and Medicine in the Garden of the Early Republic by Victoria Johnsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth by Sarah Smarshsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Indian World of George Washington: The First President, the First Americans, and the Birth of the Nation by Colin G. Callowaysource (opens in a new tab)
  4. We the Corporations: How American Businesses Won Their Civil Rights by Adam Winklersource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin by Terrance Hayessource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Eye Level by Jenny Xiesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Ghost Of by Diana Khoi Nguyensource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Wobble by Rae Armantroutsource (opens in a new tab)

Translated Literature

  1. Disoriental by Négar Djavadi, translated by Tina Koversource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Flights by Olga Tokarczuk, translated by Jennifer Croftsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Love by Hanne Ørstavik, translated by Martin Aitkensource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Trick by Domenico Starnone, translated by Jhumpa Lahirisource (opens in a new tab)

Young People's Literature

  1. Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczkasource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge by M. T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchinsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Journey of Little Charlie by Christopher Paul Curtissource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle by Leslie Connorsource (opens in a new tab)

Longlist

Fiction

  1. An American Marriage by Tayari Jonessource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Gun Love by Jennifer Clementsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Heads of the Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spiressource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Boatbuilder by Daniel Gumbinersource (opens in a new tab)
  5. There There by Tommy Orangesource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. Brothers of the Gun: A Memoir of the Syrian War by Marwan Hisham and Molly Crabapplesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Call Them by Their True Names: American Crises (and Essays) by Rebecca Solnitsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Directorate S: The C.I.A. and America’s Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Steve Collsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy by Carol Andersonsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Tangled Tree: A Radical New History of Life by David Quammensource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. Be With by Forrest Gandersource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Monument: Poems New and Selected by Natasha Tretheweysource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Museum of the Americas by J. Michael Martinezsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. feeld by Jos Charlessource (opens in a new tab)
  5. lo terciario / the tertiary by Roque Raquel Salas Riverasource (opens in a new tab)

Translated Literature

  1. Aetherial Worlds by Tatyana Tolstaya, translated by Anya Migdalsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Comemadre by Roque Larraquy, translated by Heather Clearysource (opens in a new tab)
  3. One Part Woman by Perumal Murugan, translated by Aniruddhan Vasudevansource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Beekeeper: Rescuing the Stolen Women of Iraq by Dunya Mikhail, translated by Max D. Weisssource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Wait, Blink: A Perfect Picture of Inner Life by Gunnhild Øyehaug, translated by Kari Dicksonsource (opens in a new tab)

Young People's Literature

  1. A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafisource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Blood Water Paint by Joy McCulloughsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Boots on the Ground: America’s War in Vietnam by Elizabeth Partridgesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. We’ll Fly Away by Bryan Blisssource (opens in a new tab)
  5. What the Night Sings by Vesper Stampersource (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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