The 2023 5 Under 35 honorees Announced

The National Book Foundation has announced the honorees for its 5 Under 35 list, which names “five fiction writers under the age of 35 whose debut work promises to leave a lasting impression on the literary landscape.” Honorees must have published their first and only book of fiction within the last five years.

The writers were selected by past 5 Under 35 honorees, as well as past National Book Award winners, finalists, or longlisters. This year’s judges included Louise Erdrich, Robert Jones, Jr., Jamil Jan Kochai,  Karen Russell, and Kirstin Valdez Quade. 

Here Are the 2023 5 Under 35 Honorees:

Mateo Askaripour, Black Buck
Mariner Books / HarperCollins Publishers
Selected by Robert Jones, Jr.

Chelsea T. Hicks, A Calm & Normal Heart
Unnamed Press
Selected by Louise Erdrich

Morgan Talty, Night of the Living Rez
Tin House Books
Selected by Karen Russell

Jenny Xie, Holding Pattern
Riverhead Books / Penguin Random House
Selected by Kirstin Valdez Quade

Ada Zhang, The Sorrows of Others
A Public Space
Selected by Jamil Jan Kochai

Each honoree will receive a $1,000 prize and will be celebrated at the Brooklyn Museum on Thursday May 25, 2023. For more information on the honor, visit the National Book Foundation’s announcement page.

Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books.