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.
Percival Everett's latest novel, "James," reimagines Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from enslaved Jim's perspective, challenging assumptions about the kind of books he should write and how his characters, many of whom are Black, should behave. The novel, far darker and more imaginative than anticipated, showcases Everett's ability to continually upset expectations. Through the character of James, Everett explores themes of freedom, bondage, and the power of language, while employing metafictional devices to create a richly imagined world.
Percival Everett's novel "James" reimagines "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by placing Huck's enslaved companion Jim at the center as the narrator, offering a new classic in its own right. Set in antebellum Missouri, the story follows James and Huck on a delirious odyssey, navigating a treacherous river on a raft. Everett provides Jim's deep interior life, exploring themes of language, identity, and the complexities of race. The novel is a multilayered, virtuosic mashup of literary forms, blending absurdly comical humor with devastating moments, ultimately addressing America's original sin and contradictions.
In the film "American Fiction," based on Percival Everett's novel "Erasure," the protagonist, Monk, confronts the author of a bestselling book he despises. The film's writer-director, Cord Jefferson, wanted to explore the complexities of their encounter, challenging the notion of a clear hero and villain. The confrontation serves as a transformative moment for Monk, but even Jefferson admits to being unsure of whose side he is on by the end.
