Marlon James’ novel, “The Disappearers,” which explores the struggles of gay men in 1980s Jamaica, is nominated for the National Book Awards long list. Other notable nominees include Louise Erdrich’s short story collection, Karl Ove Knausgaard’s latest novel, and Chanel Miller’s middle grade book.
The awards feature ten nominees in categories such as fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translation, and young people’s literature. Finalists will be narrowed down to five in each category by October 6, with winners announced at a ceremony in Manhattan on November 18. During this event, honorary medals will be awarded to Salman Rushdie and Perri Klass for their contributions to American literature.
In fiction, besides James, nominees include Erdrich’s “Python’s Kiss,” Edwidge Danticat’s “Dèy,” and others. For young adult literature, Miller’s “The Moon Without Stars” is recognized. Knausgaard’s “The School of Night” appears on the translation long list alongside works by Taiwanese author Ping Lu and Indonesian author Intan Paramaditha. Nonfiction nominees include Colin Asher’s “The Midnight Special” and Camonghne Felix’s “Let the Poets Govern,” while poetry nominees feature Layli Long Soldier’s “We”, among others.
