The 2024 National Book Awards winners were announced on the 20th of November, 2024. 

The National Book Awards are prestigious literary prizes presented annually by the National Book Foundation in the United States. Established in 1950, they recognize outstanding books in five categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature. The awards honor authors who have contributed significantly to American literature. The ceremony is held every November and is celebrated as one of the most important events in the literary world.

Winners of the 75th Anniversary of the National Book Awards are:

• Percival Everett won the Fiction Award for his novel James, a powerful retelling of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Everett was also recently shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize. 
• Jason De León received the award for Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling in the nonfiction category.
• Lena Khalaf Tuffaha took home the Poetry Award for Something About Living. 
• The Translated Literature award went to Yáng Shuāng-zǐ’s Taiwan Travelogue, translated by Lin King.
• Finally, Shifa Saltagi Safadi’s Kareem Between won the Young People’s Literature Award.

The 2024 National Book Awards ceremony, held on November 20, celebrated the enduring power of literature to bring empathy and understanding during challenging times. These winners’ stories contribute to a deeper dialogue about race, identity, and the human experience.  Each of the winners in the five competitive categories received $10,000.