Akwaeke Emezi, Laila Lalami, Scholastique Mukasonga Makes Shortlists For The 2019 National Book Awards

Akwaeke Emezi, Laila Lalami and Scholastique Mukasonga, are finalist in the different categories of the 2019 U.S. National Book Awards.

The National Book Awards is under the auspice of the U.S. National Book Foundation. It presents annually the National Book Awards and Two-Lifetime awards, to outstanding works of fiction by a United States citizen.

The prize awarded in the categories of Fiction, Translated Literature and Young People’s Literature, saw Igbo and Tamil writer, Akwaeke Emezi as one of the finalists in the category of Young People’s Literature for her book, “Pet.”

Moroccan writer, Laila Lalami, also shortlisted in the fiction category for her book, “The Other Americans.” While Rwandan writer, Scholastique Mukasonga, is one of the finalists in the Translated Literature category for her book, “The Barefoot Woman” translated from French by Jordan Stump.

The shortlists in the various categories as announced are;

Fiction

1. Susan Choi, Trust Exercise
2. Kali Fajardo-Anstine, Sabrina & Corina: Stories
3. Marlon James, Black Leopard, Red Wolf
4. Laila Lalami, The Other Americans
5. Julia Phillips, Disappearing Earth

Translated Literature

1. Khaled Khalifa, Death Is Hard Work Translated from Arabic by Leri Price
2. László Krasznahorkai, Baron Wenckheim’s Homecoming Translated from Hungarian by Ottilie Mulzet
3. Scholastique Mukasonga, The Barefoot Woman Translated from French by Jordan Stump
4. Yoko Ogawa, The Memory Police Translated from Japanese by Stephen Snyder
5. Pajtim Statovci, Crossing Translated from Finnish by David Hackston

Young People’s Literature

1. Akwaeke Emezi, Pet
2. Jason Reynolds, Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks
3. Randy Ribay, Patron Saints of Nothing
4. Laura Ruby, Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All
5. Martin W. Sandler, 1919: The Year That Changed America

Winners in the various categories, will be revealed at the National Book Awards ceremony and benefit dinner on November 20 in New York City, USA.