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Despite suffering severe damage to their offices from Hurricane Sandy, the 

Debut novelist William Alexander won the award for Young People's Literature for his book 

. Alexander teaches at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and is a frequent contributor to Rain Taxi Review of Books.

In the category of Fiction, Louise Erdrich won for her book 

, which was just published last month. Erdrich's work was up against works by Junot Díaz, Dave Eggers, Ben Fountain and Kevin Powers.

In accepting the award, Erdrich said, "I want to say to my fellow writers you have written extraordinary books. I don't know why I'm here, but I've been working at this for 100 years - not as long as Elmore Leanord (who was awarded the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters), but a long time."

"I would like to accept this in recognition of the grace and the endurance of native women," Erdrich continued. "This book is about a huge case of injustice; thank you for giving it wider audience."

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity

 won the non-fiction category, and David Ferry took home the award for poetry for 

Bewilderment: New Poems and Translations. 

Arts and Culture

State of the Arts Blog

Marianne Combs

Author

Louise Erdrich won for her novel 'The Round House' and William Alexander's 'Goblin Secrets' was awarded the prize for Young People's Literature.

A good night for Minnesotans at the National Book Awards

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