National Book Awards

Writers in the final round include Lauren Groff, Hanif Abdurraqib and Anthony Doerr. The prize recognizes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translated literature and young people's literature.

Finalists for the National Book Award were announced today in the categories of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, literature in translation, and young people's literature. Winners are announced Nov. 18.

There are writers on the longlist in five categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translation and young people's literature. Two debut novels are in the running for the fiction prize.

The novelist and poet joined Sarah M. Broom, László Krasznahorkai, Ottilie Mulzet, and Martin W. Sandler as winners Wednesday night — receiving $10,000 and a medallion for their front covers.

The shortlists this year include Marlon James, Susan Choi, Carolyn Forché, Jason Reynolds and more than two dozen other authors and translators. Winners in five categories will be unveiled next month.

Colson Whitehead and Marlon James headline the longlists of names in contention for the literary prize. Altogether, 50 books across five categories stand a chance at winning in November.

Nunez and Acevedo won for fiction and young people's literature, respectively. The prestigious literary prize also honored Jeffrey C. Stewart, Justin Phillip Reed, Yoko Tawada and Margaret Mitsutani.

"This year, instead of just celebrating the best American literature, we're celebrating the best literature in America," said Lisa Lucas, executive director of the National Book Foundation.

Fifty nominated books now remain in contention for prizes in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, young people's literature — and, in a fresh twist to the annual slate, translated literature.

For Ward, who won the fiction prize for Sing, Unburied, Sing, it was her second National Book Award. For Bidart, whose poetry collection spanned 51 years, it was akin to a lifetime achievement honor.

The National Book Foundation winnowed the list of contenders for its literary prize to just 20 — or five finalists each in four categories. Among them are Jesmyn Ward, Min Jin Lee and Frank Bidart.

Of the names announced by the National Book Foundation, four will take home the literary prize in November. Jesmyn Ward, Jennifer Egan and Frank Bidart number among the longlists' familiar faces.