NEW YORK — Percival Everett’s reimagining of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” titled “James,” has been awarded the National Book Award for fiction. Meanwhile, the nonfiction category recognized Jason De León for his work “Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling.” Among the other contenders in this category was Salman Rushdie, who shared a recounting of his traumatic stabbing in 2022 in his memoir titled “Knife.”
On Wednesday night, the award for young people’s literature was bestowed upon Shifa Saltagi Safadi for her book “Kareem Between,” while the poetry accolade went to Lena Khalaf Tuffaha for her collection “Something About Living.” The translation honor was given to Yáng Shu?ng-z?’s “Taiwan Travelogue,” translated from Mandarin Chinese by Lin King.
Panels of judges, composed of authors, critics, booksellers, and literary professionals, evaluated a vast array of submissions, selecting winners from over 1,900 nominated works. Each of the victors in the five competitive categories received a monetary prize of $10,000.
Lifetime achievement medals were awarded to notable figures including “Demon Copperhead” author Barbara Kingsolver and W. Paul Coates, the publisher of Black Classic Press. The National Book Foundation, the organization that presents these honors, celebrated this milestone year for the awards.
In a poignant moment, winners Safadi and Tuffaha spoke out against the ongoing Gaza conflict. Their remarks, which characterized the situation as “genocide,” resonated deeply with the audience, reflecting a call for solidarity with the Palestinian people, despite the omission of direct references to Israel.
Traditionally held in mid-November, the National Book Awards provide an early glimpse into the literary community’s sentiments following elections. Past ceremonies have seen an array of emotions presented through speeches—from hope following Barack Obama’s 2008 election to a determined resolve amidst challenging circumstances in 2016, as illustrated by Colson Whitehead’s rally for kindness and creative expression.
As hundreds gathered to commemorate the 75th anniversary of these prestigious awards at Cipriani Wall Street, the atmosphere was marked by a blend of seriousness mixed with optimism. Host Kate McKinnon light-heartedly remarked that her involvement was intended to provide some levity amid global turmoil. Musical guest Jon Batiste prompted audience participation with a rendition of “When the Saints Go Marching In,” and he also performed snippets of Leonard Cohen’s classic “Hallelujah,” a song that McKinnon memorably sang during her first “Saturday Night Live” appearance post-2016 election.
Kingsolver expressed her feelings of being “smacked down” by current events but conveyed a sense of resilience, drawing parallels between truth and love as fundamental forces, akin to gravity or sunlight, always present regardless of visibility. She emphasized the role of writers to envision “a better ending than the one we’ve been given.”
During a reading event for finalists on the preceding Tuesday, many emphasized the significance of community support. Everett, in particular, expressed that he greatly needed this form of inspiration following recent challenges, stating, “We kind of need each other right now.” He cautioned that “hope is not a strategy,” before delivering a poignant pause that made it clear he was reflecting on his work, “James,” rather than commenting on current affairs.