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The 2017 National Book Award Winners

The winners of the 2017 National Book Awards in all four categories, as well as the presenters and the lifetime achievement award.

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Liberty Hardy

Senior Contributing Editor

Liberty Hardy is an unrepentant velocireader, writer, bitey mad lady, and tattoo canvas. Turn-ons include books, books and books. Her favorite exclamation is “Holy cats!” Liberty reads more than should be legal, sleeps very little, frequently writes on her belly with Sharpie markers, and when she dies, she’s leaving her body to library science. Until then, she lives with her three cats, Millay, Farrokh, and Zevon, in Maine. She is also right behind you. Just kidding! She’s too busy reading. Twitter: @MissLiberty

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We have our winners! Another National Book Award ceremony has come and gone. The ceremony was hosted by Cynthia Nixon, with the awards handed out by a judge from each of the categories. Bill Clinton was on hand to present an honorary prize to Scholastic Inc. CEO Richard Robinson, and Anne Hathaway introduced novelist Annie Proulx as she received a lifetime achievement medal.

Here are the 2017 National Book Award winners.

Young People’s Literature

Far from the Tree by Robin Benway

The judges this year were:

  • Suzanna Hermans
  • Brendan Kiely
  • Kekla Magoon
  • Meg Medina
  • Alex Sanchez

Poetry

half-light frank bidartHalf-Light: Collected Poems 1965-2016 by Frank Bidart

The judges this year were:

  • Gregory Pardlo
  • Jane Mead
  • Nick Flynn
  • Monica Youn
  • Richard Siken

 

Nonfiction

the future is historyThe Future Is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia by Masha Gessen

The judges this year were:

  • Steve Bercu
  • Jeff Chang
  • Paula J. Giddings
  • Ruth Franklin
  • Valeria Luiselli

 

Fiction

sing unburied sing

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

The judges this year were:

  • Alexander Chee
  • Dave Eggers
  • Annie Philbrick
  • Karolina Waclawiak
  • Jacqueline Woodson

Congratulations to this year’s winners and all the nominees!

Jesmyn Ward's NBAP.S. This is a photo of Jesmyn Ward’s National Book Award, which I took a photo of at the after party (like the literary creeper I am) when she set it down to talk to people next to me.