So you want to understand National Book Award winners? Maybe you saw Colson Whitehead's name pop up twice and wondered what makes these books special. Or maybe you're trying to decide which award-winner deserves your next weekend. I get it – I used to stare blankly at bookstore displays until I accidentally bought Jesmyn Ward's Salvage the Bones during a rainstorm. Changed my whole perspective.
Let's cut through the confusion. The National Book Award isn't just some stuffy literary circle. It's like the Oscars for books, but without the awkward speeches. Winning this can turn an unknown author into a household name overnight. Remember when Ta-Nehisi Coates won for Between the World and Me? Suddenly everyone was talking about it.
What Exactly Are the National Book Awards?
Started back in 1950 by book publishers (smart move for business, right?), the National Book Awards aim to spotlight American writing that "expands our world." Not just fancy literature – we're talking life-changing nonfiction, poetry that punches you in the gut, even young adult books that adults sneak into their bags.
The judging process is intense. Five anonymous judges per category read hundreds of books. No publishers whispering in ears. I spoke to a former judge who confessed they gained 15 pounds from stress-eating during deliberations. Now that's commitment.
Breaking Down the Categories
They've tweaked categories over time, but currently five gold medals get handed out:
Fiction: Novels and story collections. Where the rockstars like Louise Erdrich (The Round House) hang out.
Nonfiction: Everything from biographies to science. Timothy Egan's The Worst Hard Time made dust bowls fascinating – didn't think that was possible.
Poetry: Where words become weapons. Robin Coste Lewis's Voyage of the Sable Venus still haunts me.
Translated Literature: Added in 2018! Finally recognizing translators as ninjas. Yoko Tawada's The Emissary (translated from Japanese) won recently.
Young People's Literature: Not "just kids' books." Try reading Jacqueline Woodson's Brown Girl Dreaming without tearing up.
The Heavy Hitters: Who's Won Multiple Times?
Only 5 authors have scored two wins in their careers. These aren't flukes – these writers dominate:
| Author | Winning Books | Years | Why They Matter |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Faulkner | A Fable, The Reivers | 1955, 1963 | Southern Gothic master (but honestly, A Fable isn't his best work) |
| John Updike | The Centaur, Rabbit Is Rich | 1964, 1982 | Middle-class America's sharpest observer |
| Jesmyn Ward | Salvage the Bones, Sing, Unburied, Sing | 2011, 2017 | Raw Southern family sagas that leave you breathless |
| Colson Whitehead | The Underground Railroad, The Nickel Boys | 2016, 2019 | Reimagines historical trauma like no one else |
| Robert Lowell | Lord Weary's Castle, Life Studies | 1947, 1960 | Confessional poetry pioneer |
Notice how recent most double-wins are? The National Book Award Foundation hasn't been shy about rewarding bold new voices. Though personally, I think Ward should've won a third for Men We Reaped.
Recent Winners You Should Actually Read
Forget those "50 Books Before You Die" lists. Here are the past five years' winners with real talk about accessibility:
Fiction Winners Worth Your Time
| Year | Book | Author | Reading Difficulty | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Blackouts | Justin Torres | Moderate (nonlinear structure) | Gay history uncovered through fragmented memories |
| 2022 | The Rabbit Hutch | Tess Gunty | Easy/Medium | Darkly funny apartment building saga |
| 2021 | Hell of a Book | Jason Mott | Easy (deceptively simple) | Racial commentary wrapped in meta-humor |
| 2020 | Interior Chinatown | Charles Yu | Medium (screenplay format) | Asian stereotypes demolished creatively |
| 2019 | The Nickel Boys | Colson Whitehead | Easy (devastatingly clear) | Based on real Florida reform school horrors |
Pro tip: Start with Whitehead. His prose reads like water flowing – until it knocks you over. Avoid 2020's Interior Chinatown if screenplays frustrate you (some book clubs struggled).
Nonfiction That Won't Bore You to Tears
Let's be honest: Some nonfiction winners feel like homework. These won't:
- All That She Carried (2021, Tiya Miles): History through an embroidered sack? Surprisingly gripping.
- The Dead Are Arising (2020, Les Payne): Malcolm X biography with novel-like pacing.
- The Yellow House (2019, Sarah Broom): Memoir about New Orleans that outsold most fiction winners.
But skip 2018's The New Negro unless you're writing a thesis. Beautiful writing, but dense.
Where Controversy Happened
Not every National Book Award winner gets universal love. The judges take risks – sometimes they stumble:
2014 Fiction Backlash: When Phil Klay's Redeployment (war stories) beat Marilynne Robinson's Lila, literary Twitter exploded. Critics called it "safe choice." Personally? Klay's book stays with you longer.
The Poetry Problem: Some argue the poetry category favors academic poets. When Frank Bidart won for Half-light (2017), casual readers complained it was impenetrable. Fair critique – I needed three reads to "get" it.
Translation Oversights: Until 2018, translated works competed in main categories. Knausgård's My Struggle never stood a chance. Glad they fixed this.
How to Access Winner Content
You don't need a literature degree:
- Library Apps: Libby shows wait times – Jacqueline Woodson's books average 6 weeks
- Used Book Sites: ThriftBooks has 80% of past winners under $5
- Author Events: NBA winners tour aggressively. George Saunders does Q&As like stand-up comedy
- Adaptations: Watch first if books intimidate you: The Underground Railroad (Amazon), The Good Lord Bird (Showtime)
Why This Award Impacts What You Read
Publishers slap "National Book Award Winner" on covers for a reason. Sales spike 300-800% post-win. When Elizabeth Acevedo won for YA novel The Poet X, it sold out nationally in two days. More importantly: Bookstores rearrange displays. Libraries order extra copies. Your book club suddenly picks it.
But the real magic? Discovering voices like Ocean Vuong (On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous wasn't even nominated, proving the longlist matters). His raw immigrant story reached millions because the award spotlighted his poetry first.
Frequently Asked Stuff About NBA Winners
Do authors get prize money?
Yep – $10,000 cash plus that shiny medal. Finalists get $1,000. Not life-changing but helps pay rent while writing next book.
How are judges picked?
Past winners, booksellers, librarians, critics. Rotates yearly. No agents or publishers allowed – keeps it clean.
Can self-published books win?
Technically yes if distributed through major channels. Reality? Almost impossible. Traditional publishers dominate submissions (and marketing budgets).
Biggest sales boost ever?
Tara Westover's Educated (2018 Nonfiction finalist). Sold 6 million copies after nomination. Proof that finalist status rocks too.
Most surprising omission?
Marilynne Robinson's Gilead (Pulitzer winner) wasn't even nominated in 2004. Judges later admitted regret.
My Personal Journey With These Books
I used to think National Book Award winners were pretentious doorstops. Then I got stuck in an airport with only Charles Yu's Interior Chinatown. The format threw me – written like a screenplay – but by page 30 I was laughing/cringing at Hollywood stereotypes. Finished it before boarding.
Now I make a project of reading one winner monthly. Some observations:
- Poetry winners work best as audiobooks (hear Tracy K. Smith recite Life on Mars)
- Skip the 1970s winners except Joan Didion's Slouching Towards Bethlehem (nonfiction finalist)
- Recent translated winners are shorter – great for commutes
Are all winners masterpieces? Nah. I couldn't finish William Gaddis' JR (1976 winner). Felt like homework. But when they click? Like discovering Jason Mott's hilarious yet heartbreaking 2021 winner Hell of a Book – it redefined what an NBA winner could be.
That's the real value of tracking National Book Award winners: They force you out of your reading rut. Even the "misses" spark conversations. And with libraries carrying most winners for free? Zero-risk exploration.
The Bottom Line
National Book Award winners aren't a monolith. Some will bore you. Others might crack your worldview open. But with 75+ years of curated excellence spanning fiction, poetry, and eye-opening nonfiction, it's the most reliable book recommendation engine we have. Skip the algorithm – start with last year's translated literature winner. Your bookshelf will thank you.