Percival Everett won the National Book Award for fiction with his novel "James," a reimagining of "Huckleberry Finn" focusing on the character Jim. The awards ceremony also highlighted calls for peace in the Middle East, with winners like Lena Khalaf Tuffaha and Shifa Saltagi Safadi addressing issues of Palestinian rights and Islamophobia. Other winners included Jason De León for nonfiction and Yáng Shuāng-zǐ for translated literature. Barbara Kingsolver received the distinguished contribution to American letters award.
Percival Everett won the National Book Award for fiction with his novel "James," a retelling of "Huckleberry Finn" from Jim's perspective. The 75th National Book Awards, hosted by Kate McKinnon, also honored Jason De León for nonfiction, Lena Khalaf Tuffaha for poetry, Yáng Shuāng-zǐ and Lin King for translated literature, and Shifa Saltagi Safadi for young people's literature. The event featured critiques of artificial intelligence and political commentary from awardees.
The 2023 Whiting Awards, one of the most esteemed and largest monetary gifts for emerging writers, has recognized 10 talented and promising writers with a $50,000 prize each. The winners include poets, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers, with works that range from gothic horror to climate-anxious drama. Since its founding in 1985, the Whiting Awards have helped launch the careers of many successful writers, including Pulitzer Prize winners and National Book Award winners.
