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Shortlists for the National Book Awards went public Wednesday, halving the number of nominees to just 20 finalists. Among the books that have survived the second round of cuts, a few clear favorites are beginning to emerge — while others have been displaced by less familiar names.

The full lists of finalists can be found below.


On the fiction side, Hanya Yanagihara's novel 

 adds to a stellar record so far this literary awards season. The tome — which 

 "a wrenching portrait of the enduring grace of friendship" — has already earned a spot on the shortlists for the 

 prizes.

Joining Yanagihara's novel are Lauren Groff's 

, a globe-trotting collection of stories from Pulitzer Prize winner 

All of the writers on the fiction shortlist are first-time finalists for the National Book Award.

 has been having, it would be tough to consider his 

 anything less than a favorite to win the nonfiction prize — though photographer 

, a memoir threaded with photos, could be considered a close second for that distinction. Like Mann, Tracy K. Smith also comes to nonfiction from another genre, having previously won a Pulitzer for poetry; 

is her first memoir.
Meanwhile, among the poets themselves, Rowan Ricardo Phillips' absence from the list is sure to surprise some — while 

, should surprise no one. The celebrated poet has been here before, with an NBA win just five years ago. Robin Coste Lewis, however, is new here — with 

, a debut she published while still a student (getting her Ph.D.).
Yet she's not the youngest writer on this list. Noelle Stevenson, in her early 20s, may take that honor. Her comic 

, which first developed as a biweekly post on the Web, earned a spot on the slate of finalists for young people's literature

Winners in each category will receive a bronze sculpture and a purse of $10,000, at a ceremony in New York City on Nov. 18.

 If the Oceans Were Ink: An Unlikely Friendship and a Journey to the Heart of the Quran

Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War

Arts and Culture

The Thread® - Books and Literary News

Colin Dwyer

Author

Lauren Groff, Terrance Hayes, Sally Mann and Ta-Nehisi Coates are among the 20 writers still in the running for the prestigious literary prize. Soon, that number will be whittled to just four winners.

Finalists unveiled for this year's National Book Awards

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