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Every year, the National Book Foundation shines the spotlight on five young fiction writers with the 

 program. This year's honorees were announced this morning; they hail from all across the United States and the world. 

The winning writers were chosen by previous recipients of the 5 Under 35 honor: Phil Klay, Fiona Mazel, Paul Yoon, Dinaw Mengestu and ZZ Packer. 

Each receives $1,000, and will be honored at a ceremony in New York, hosted by LeVar Burton of "Reading Rainbow" fame.


Flournoy hails from California, but her book brings Detroit to life. "The Turner House" tells the story of a family home in an embattled neighborhood of the Motor City. When it's revealed that the house is only worth a tenth of its mortgage, the family must come together to decide its fate. "The Turner House" is also on the longlist for the 

Flournoy's favorite place to write is "a coffee shop with adequate outlets and clean restrooms."

 Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi, "Fra Keeler"


Van der Vliet Oloomi has lived all over — in Spain, Iran and California. "Fra Keeler" is the darkly comic and eerie tale of a man who moves into a house and becomes obsessed with the death of the previous owner. 

Barrett was born in Knockmore, an Irish village in County Mayo. "Young Skins" is a collection of linked short stories that center around the fictional town of Glanbeigh, Ireland, which is populated by people who are broken in many ways. The book has earned the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award and the Guardian First Book Award, among other accolades.

Barrett's favorite book is William Faulkner's "The Sound and the Fury."


Representing the northeast, O'Neill is from Amherst, N.H. "Hopeful" follows a 16-year-old ice skating prodigy who suffers a disastrous fall, and must deal with the fallout of broken dreams — hers and her family's.

O'Neill's favorite place to write is "sitting in my weird, beige chair from an old regular at the Cherry Tavern with my dog, Cowboy, beside me." 

Kruse was born in Tulalip, Wash. In "Call Me Home," she takes readers on a journey across the country. The story is told through the voices of three different family members, as they confront abuse, affairs and "what it means to be queer in the rural West." 

Kruse's favorite book is "Housekeeping" by Marilynne Robinson.

Arts and Culture

The Thread® - Books and Literary News

Tracy Mumford

Author

Who are the up-and-comers in the literary world? The National Book Foundation honors five young fiction writers.

5 under 35: Bright young literary stars

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