Welcome to our 2024 literary awards roundup! As the year unfolds, the world of letters is buzzing with anticipation for the most prestigious book prizes 2024 has to offer.
In this post, we'll take you on a journey through the landscape of award-winning books, from thought-provoking non-fiction to captivating award-winning novels. Our roundup showcases the cream of the crop in contemporary literature, highlighting both emerging voices and established authors who are pushing the boundaries of storytelling.
Whether you're a devoted fan of award-winning fiction or simply curious about the year's literary standouts, you'll find plenty to explore here. From the Pulitzer to the Booker and beyond, we're tracking the most coveted accolades in the book world.
As the year progresses, we'll be updating this list with the latest winners and nominees across various genres. It's your one-stop resource for discovering the most acclaimed reads of 2024.
Looking to elevate your reading list or spark engaging discussions in your book club? These award-winning books are sure to inspire. Don't forget to add these literary gems to your "Want to Read" shelf or include them in your next book club selection poll.
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Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
Established in 1917 but newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer The Pulitzer Prizes are given annually for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters." While a majority of the two dozen prizes administered are for achievements in journalism, six of the prizes are for for books, with categories for fiction, poetry, general nonfiction, history, biography and memoir/autobiography.
2024 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction Winner:
Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips. A beautifully rendered novel set in West Virginia’s Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in the aftermath of the Civil War where a severely wounded Union veteran, a 12-year-old girl and her mother, long abused by a Confederate soldier, struggle to heal.
Booker Prize
Founded in the UK in 1969, The Booker Prize initially rewarded Commonwealth writers and now spans the globe; it is open to anyone regardless of origin. The winning book is a work that not only speaks to our current times but also one that will endure and join the pantheon of great literature. The shortlist for the 2024 Booker Prize featured five women and authors from five countries with Orbital by Samantha Harvey named the winner of the Booker Prize 2024. Harvey’s novel takes place over a single day in the life of six astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. Compact yet beautifully expansive, Orbital invites us to observe Earth’s splendour, whilst reflecting on the individual and collective value of every human life.
2024 Booker Prize Winner:
Orbital by Samantha Harvey + Book Club Discussion Guide
2023 Booker Prize Winner:
Prophet Song by Paul Lynch + Book Club Discussion Guide
Booker International Prize
A counterpart to the Booker Prize, the International Booker Prize is awarded annually for the finest single work of fiction from around the world that has been translated into English and published in the UK and/or Ireland.
2024 Booker International Prize Winner:
Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck translated by Michael Hofmann
2024 Booker International Prize Shortlist finalists:
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Not a River by Selva Almada
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Mater 2-10 by Hwang Sok-yong
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What I'd Rather Not Think About by Jente Posthuma
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Crooked Plow by Itamar Vieira Junior
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Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck
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The Details by Ia Genberg
Nobel Prize in Literature
One of the highest honors in the literary world, The Nobel Prize in Literature 2023 was awarded to Jon Fosse, "for his innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable." His immense oeuvre written in Norwegian Nynorsk and spanning a variety of genres consists of a wealth of plays, novels, poetry collections, essays, children’s books, and translations. While he is today one of the most widely performed playwrights in the world, he has also become increasingly recognized for his prose.
2024 Nobel Prize Winner in Literature is South Korean author, Han King, “for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life.” Her 2016 novel, Vegetarian, was declared one of the Best 100 Books of the 21st Century by New York Times.
Carol Shields Prize for Fiction
The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction, first awarded in 2023, is the first major English-language literary prize to celebrate creativity and excellence in fiction by women and non-binary writers in Canada and the United States.
2024 Carol Shields Prize Winner
Brotherless Night by V. V. Ganeshananthan
2024 Carol Shields Prize Shortlist
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Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton
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Daughter by Claudia Dey
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Coleman Hill by Kim Coleman Foote
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Brotherless Night by V. V. Ganeshananthan
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A History of Burning by Janika Oza
National Book Awards
Established in 1950, the National Book Awards recognize and celebrate the best of American literature and are presented by The National Book Foundation. Winners in all five categories (Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature) were announced at the 75th National Book Awards on Wednesday, November 20, 2024. A full list of 2024 finalists can be found here.
2024 National Book Award Winners:
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James by Percival Everett (Fiction)
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Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling by Jason De León (Nonfiction)
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Taiwan Travelogue by Shuang-zi Yang and translated by Lin King (Translated Literature)
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Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi (Young People's Literature)
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Something About Living by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha (Poetry)
National Book Critics Circle Award
Started in 1976, the National Book Critics Circle presents awards for the finest books published in English in six categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography, Poetry, and Criticism. The eligibility date range spans the calendar year, and the 2024 prizes will be awarded in March 2025.
2023 National Book Critics Circle Award Winners:
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How to Say Babylon: A Jamaican Memoir by Safiya Sinclair + Book Club Discussion Guide (Autobiography)
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Winnie and Nelson: Portrait of a Marriage by Jonny Steinberg (Biography)
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Deadpan: The Aesthetics of Black Inexpression by Tina Post (Criticism)
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I Am Homeless if This Is Not My Home by Lorrie Moore (Fiction)
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We Were Once a Family: A Story of Love, Death, and Child Removal in America by Roxanna Asgarian (Nonfiction)
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Phantom Pain Wings by Kim Hyesoon, translated by Don Mee Choi (Poetry)
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Cold Nights of Childhood by Tezer Özlü, translated by Maureen Freely (Translation)
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Waiting to Be Arrested at Night: A Uyghur Poet’s Memoir of China’s Genocide by Tahir Hamut Izgil, translated by Joshua L. Freeman (Debut)
Women’s Prize for Fiction and Nonfiction
The Women’s Prize for Fiction (previously known as the Orange Prize for Fiction) is one of the most successful, influential, and popular literary prizes in the world, championing and amplifying women’s voices and nurturing a global community of readers. The Prize was established in 1996 to highlight and remedy the imbalance in coverage, respect and reverence given to women writers versus their male peers, creating a platform for exceptional writing by women to shine. A companion Non-Fiction Prize was launched in 2023.
2024 Women’s Prize for Fiction Winner:
Brotherless Night by V. V. Ganeshananthan
2024 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction Winner
Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World by Naomi Klein
2024 Women’s Prize for Fiction Shortlist:
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The Wren, The Wren by Anne Enright
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Brotherless Night by V. V. Ganeshananthan
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Restless Dolly Maunder by Kate Grenville
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Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad
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Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy
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River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescure
2024 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction Shortlist:
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Thunderclap: A Memoir of Art and Life and Sudden Death by Laura Cumming
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Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World by Naomi Klein
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A Flat Place: Moving Through Empty Landscapes, Naming Complex Trauma by Noreen Masud
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All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family Keepsake by Tiya Miles
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Code Dependent: Living in the Shadow of AI by Madhumita Murgia
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How to Say Babylon: A Jamaican Memoir by Safiya Sinclair + Book Club Discussion Guide
Kirkus Prize
Created to celebrate the decades of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large, the Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction, and young readers’ literature.
2024 Kirkus Prize for Fiction Winner:
James by Percival Everett
2024 Kirkus Prize for Non-Fiction Winner:
Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space by Adam Higgenbotham
2024 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers Winner:
Gather by Kenneth M. Cadow
2024 Kirkus Prize Fiction Finalists:
- Say Hello to My Little Friend by Jennine Capó Crucet
- The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich
- James by Percival Everett
- Prophet Song by Paul Lynch
- Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
- Playground by Richard Powers
2024 Kirkus Prize Non-Fiction Finalists:
- The Achilles Trap by Steve Coll
- The Garden Against Time: In Search of a Common Paradise by Olivia Laing
- Another Word for Love by Carvell Wallace
- Undue Burden: Life and Death Decisions in Post-Roe America by Shefali Luthra
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards, first presented in 1953 are science fiction’s most prestigious award. The Hugo Awards are voted on by members of the World Science Fiction Convention.
2024 Hugo Award Shortlist for Best Science Fiction Novel:
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The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
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The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera
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Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh
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Starter Villain by John Scalzi
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Translation State by Ann Leckie
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Witch King by Martha Wells
British Book Award
These awards occur annually in Britain and affirm, connect and energise the world of reading by showcasing the authors and illustrators who have stirred our hearts and imaginations, and the industry behind the scenes who have brought them to readers. The 2024 shortlist contains 72 titles across 12 categories.
2024 British Book Award Winners:
- Murdle by G. T. Karber (Overall Book of the Year)
2023 British Book Award Winners:
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Verity by Colleen Hoover (Pageturner) + Book Club Discussion Guide
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The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett (Crime & Thriller)
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I'm a Fan by Sheena Patel (Discovery)
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Trespasses by Louise Kennedy (Début Fiction)
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Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution by R. F. Kuang (Fiction Book of the Year)
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Menopausing by Davina McCall (Overall Book of the Year)
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