NEW YORK (AP) — Percival Everett’s novel “James,” a bold reinterpretation of Mark Twain’s classic “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” has been awarded the National Book Award for fiction. The nonfiction category winner is Jason De León for his book “Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling.” Notably, among the finalists in nonfiction was Salman Rushdie’s memoir detailing the harrowing experience of his stabbing in 2022, titled “Knife.”
At the awards ceremony on Wednesday evening, the prize for young people’s literature went to Shifa Saltagi Safadi for her coming-of-age narrative, “Kareem Between,” while the poetry award was presented to Lena Khalaf Tuffaha for her collection titled “Something About Living.” In the translation category, Yáng Shuāng-zǐ’s “Taiwan Travelogue,” translated from Mandarin by Lin King, took home the honors.
The National Book Foundation’s judging panels, comprising writers, critics, booksellers, and other literary figures, evaluated over 1,900 nominated works, ultimately selecting winners across five competitive categories. Each winner received a cash prize of $10,000.
Percival Everett’s victory reflects his incredible literary journey over recent years. Once relatively unknown, the 67-year-old author has become a prominent figure, being a finalist for both the Booker Prize and Pulitzer Prize with his works such as “Trees” and “Dr. No.” He has also had his novel “Erasure” adapted into the Oscar-nominated film “American Fiction.”
In “James,” Everett opts to narrate the well-known story through the eyes of Jim, the enslaved character, highlighting the significant differences in his behavior and speech when in the presence of white people. The novel has already gained significant recognition, being a Booker finalist and recently winning the Kirkus Prize for fiction.
During his acceptance speech, Everett expressed gratitude for the warm reception that “James” has received. He also commended the audience for their support and engagement with meaningful literature.
This year’s ceremony honored literary greats with lifetime achievement medals. Notably, “Demon Copperhead” author Barbara Kingsolver and W. Paul Coates, the publisher of Black Classic Press, were among those recognized.
Throughout the evening, speakers emphasized the importance of diversity, disruption, and the fight for autonomy, addressing topics from Taiwanese independence to immigrant rights in the U.S. Both Safadi and Tuffaha openly criticized the ongoing Gaza conflict and U.S. military support for Israel, referring to it as “genocide,” and received a mixed response from the audience. Tuffaha, who is Palestinian-American, dedicated her award to “all the deeply beautiful Palestinians that this world has lost and all those miraculous ones who endured, waiting for us to wake up.”
Following controversies from previous years regarding political statements made by finalists, including the withdrawal of support from publisher Zibby Owens last year due to such comments, this year the World Jewish Congress criticized Coates’ award due to his publication of the controversial essay “The Jewish Onslaught,” labeled by some as anti-Semitic. In response, National Book Foundation Executive Director Ruth Dickey clarified that Coates was honored for the totality of his work, emphasizing the foundation’s commitment to defending free expression while condemning forms of bigotry.
The National Book Awards have traditionally taken place in mid-November, shortly after elections, serving as a reflection of the current state of the literary world. Past ceremonies have seen a range of emotions; from optimism after Barack Obama’s 2008 election, with publisher Barney Rosset hopeful for a “new and uplifting agenda,” to a somber resolve following Donald Trump’s election in 2016, where fiction winner Colson Whitehead urged kindness and creativity amidst adversity.
This year’s ceremony marked the 75th anniversary of the awards and brought together hundreds at Cipriani Wall Street in downtown Manhattan, where the atmosphere combined sobriety, determination, and a sense of shared hope. Host Kate McKinnon lightened the mood by joking about her role, saying the foundation wanted “something fun and light to distract from the fact that the world is a bonfire.” Musical guest Jon Batiste engaged the audience with a rendition of “When the Saints Go Marching In” and performed segments from Leonard Cohen’s classic “Hallelujah,” which McKinnon had memorably sung during the first “Saturday Night Live” following Trump’s 2016 election victory.
Kingsolver made a poignant remark about feeling “smacked down” in the current climate but highlighted her resilience and past experiences of despair. She spoke about the writer’s role in envisioning “a better ending than the one we’ve been given,” urging creativity and hope even in challenging times.
During a reading event for finalists on Tuesday night, participants reflected on the importance of community support. Everett shared his own vulnerability, admitting that he “needed this kind of inspiration after the last couple of weeks,” before offering a thoughtful pause on the state of hope, noting, “hope is not a strategy.” This moment of reflection transitioned into a reading from “James,” where he captured the audience with his insights.
