06 Oct 2023 Kirkus Prize Finalists
Written by: Nick Philip, Adult Services Supervisor
The finalists for the 10th Annual Kirkus Prize are here! The Kirkus Prize is presented by Kirkus Reviews, the venerable book review magazine, and awards $50,000 to a work in each of its three categories: fiction, nonfiction, and young readers’ literature. Books become eligible by receiving a starred review (or Kirkus Star) from the publication. The finalists nominated this year were published (or will be published) between November 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023, and the winner will be announced on October 11, 2023. Without further ado, here are this year’s finalists, listed below with links to our catalog where available.
Fiction:
Fiction:Witness by Jamel Brinkley
Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton
White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward
Nonfiction:
Red Memory: The Afterlives of China’s Cultural Revolution by Tania Branigan
Mr. B: George Balanchine’s 20th Century by Jennifer Homans
How Not To Kill Yourself: A Portrait of the Suicidal Mind by Clancy Martin
How to Say Babylon: A Memoir by Safiya Sinclair
Our Migrant Souls: A Meditation on Race and the Meanings and Myths of “Latino” by Hector Tobar
Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey From Slavery to Freedom by Ilyon Woo
Young Readers’ Literature:
Young Readers’ Literature:Together We Swim by Valerie Bolling, illustrated by Kaylani Juanita
Joao by a Thread by Roger Mello, translated by Daniel Hahn
Julia and the Shark by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, illustrated by Tom de Freston
The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale by Jon Klassen
America Redux: Visual Stories From Our Dynamic History by Ariel Aberg-Riger
The Eternal Return of Clara Hart by Louise Finch
If you’re interested, you can find the previous winners of the Kirkus Prize below.
Fiction:
| 2014 | Lily King | Euphoria |
| 2015 | Hanya Yanagihara | A Little Life |
| 2016 | C. E. Morgan | The Sport of Kings |
| 2017 | Lesley Nneka Arimah | What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky |
| 2018 | Ling Ma | Severance |
| 2019 | Colson Whitehead | The Nickel Boys |
| 2020 | Raven Leilani | Luster |
| 2021 | Joy Williams | Harrow |
| 2022 | Hernan Diaz | Trust |
Nonfiction:
| 2014 | Roz Chast | Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? |
| 2015 | Ta-Nehisi Coates | Between the World and Me |
| 2016 | Susan Faludi | In the Darkroom |
| 2017 | Jack E. Davis | The Gulf: The Making of an American Sea |
| 2018 | Rebecca Solnit | Call Them by Their True Names: American Crises (and Essays) |
| 2019 | Saeed Jones | How We Fight for Our Lives: A Memoir |
| 2020 | Mychal Denzel Smith | Stakes Is High: Life After the American Dream |
| 2021 | Brian Broome | Punch Me Up to the Gods: A Memoir |
| 2022 | Tanais | In Sensorium |
Young Readers’ Literature:
| 2014 | Kate Samworth | Aviary Wonders Inc.: Spring Catalog and Instruction Manual |
| 2015 | Pam Muñoz Ryan; illustrated by Dinara Mirtalipova | Echo |
| 2016 | Jason Reynolds | As Brave as You |
| 2017 | Cherie Dimaline | The Marrow Thieves |
| 2018 | Derrick Barnes; illustrated by Gordon C. James | Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut |
| 2019 | Jerry Craft; colored by Jim Callahan | New Kid |
| 2020 | Derrick Barnes; illustrated by Gordon C. James | I Am Every Good Thing |
| 2021 | Christina Soontornvat | All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team |
| 2022 | Harmony Becker | Himawari House |
