Los Angeles author Justin Torres and Yale historian Ned Blackhawk were the big winners at the 74th National Book Awards, honored for their works in fiction and nonfiction, respectively, as the prestigious literary prizes were announced Wednesday at a gala at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.
Elizabeth A. Harris (The New York Times) reports on the finalists of the 2023 National Book Awards. Justin Torres (shown above), Puerto Rico, “Blackouts” (Fiction); Astrid Roemer, Suriname, “On a Woman’s Madness” (Translated Literature) and Pilar Quintana, Colombia, “Abyss” (Translated Literature) are among the honorees. Winners will be announced on November 15. Here are excerpts:…