The librarians at the Topsfield Town Library have developed this resource to highlight books that have been awarded some of the most prestigious prizes in book publishing over the most recent several years.
Nobel Prize in Literature
The Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded to “the person who shall have produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction …” (Source: Nobel Prize website)
2022: Annie Ernaux
2021: Abdulrazak Gurnah
2020: Louise Gluck
2019: Peter Handke
2018: Olga Tokarczuk
Pulitzer Prize in Fiction
The Pulitzer Prize in Fiction is awarded to “distinguished fiction published in book form during the year by an American author, preferably dealing with American life.” (Source: Pulitzer Prize website)
2022: The Netanyahus by Joshua Cohen
Finalists: Monkey Boy by Fransisco Goldman, Palmares by Gayl Jones
2021: The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Finalists: A Registry of My Passage Upon the Earth by Daniel Mason, Telephone by Percival Everett
2020: The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Finalists: The Dutch House by Ann Patchett, The Topeka School by Ben Lerner
National Book Award for Fiction
The National Book Award for Fiction is awarded to a piece of fiction written by an American author (see full guidelines here).
2022 : The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty
Finalists: The Birdcatcher by Gayl Jones, The Haunting of Hajji Hotak and Other Stories by Jamil Jan Kochai, All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews
2021: Hell of a Book by Jason Mott
Finalists: Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr, Matrix by Lauren Groff, Zorrie by Laird Hunt, The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr.
2020: Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
Finalists: Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam, A Children’s Bible by Lydia Millet, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw, Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
2019: Trust Exercise by Susan Choi
Finalists: Sabrina & Corina by Kali Fajardo-Anstine, Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James, The Other Americans by Laila Lalami, Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips
PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction
The PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction honors the best published works of fiction by American permanent residents in a calendar year. (Source)
2023 Finalists: The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li, If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery, Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm by Laura Warrell, The Islands by Dionne Irving, Fruiting Bodies by Kathryn Harlan.
2022: The Wrong End of the Telescope by Rabih Alameddine
Finalists: Radiant Fugitives by Nawaaz Admed, The President and the Frog by Carolina de Robertis, Dear Miss Metropolitan by Carolyn Ferrell, How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue
2021:The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw
Finalists: Disappear Doppelganger Disappear by Matthew Salesses, The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe, Mother Daughter Widow Wife by Robin Wasserman, Scattered Lights by Steve Wiegenstein
2020:Sea Monsters by Chole Aridjis
Finalists: Where Reasons End by Yiyun Li, The Night Swimmers by Peter Rock, We Cast a Shadow by Maurice Carlos Ruffin, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Booker Prize
Each year, the Booker Prize is awarded to what is, in the opinion of the judges, the best sustained work of fiction written in English and published in the UK and Ireland. (Source)
2022: The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilak
Finalists: Glory by Noviolet Bulawayo, Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan, The Trees by Percival Everett, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka, Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout, Treacle Walker by Alan Garner
2021: The Promise by Damon Galgut
2020: Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
2019: The Testaments by Margaret Atwood and Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
2018: Milkman by Anna Burns
Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction
The Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction, established in 2012, recognize the best fiction books for adult readers published in the U.S. in the previous year and serve as a guide to help adults select quality reading material. It is awarded during the Midwinter American Library Association conference. (Source)
2023: The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka
Shortlisted: The Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty, Greenland by David Santos Donaldson
2022: The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin
2021: Deacon King Kong by James McBride
2020: Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli
2019: The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
2018: Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan
New England Book Award in Fiction
The New England Book Award in Fiction is awarded to adult fiction materials either about New England, set in New England, or written by an author residing in New England. (Source)
2022: Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty
Finalists: Babel by R.F. Kuang, Ben and Beatriz by Katalina Gamarra, Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel, The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon
2021: Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge
2020: Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi
2019: On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
2018: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Barbara Gittings Literature Award (Stonewall Award)
Sponsored by the American Library Association’s Rainbow Round Table, the Barbara Gittings Literature Stonewall Award is honored for exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender experience. (Source)
2022: Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon
Finalists: Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki, Black Girl, Call Home by Jasmine Mans, Stone Fruit by Lee Lai, A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
2021: Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar
2020: Cantoras by Carolina De Robertis
2019: The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
2018: Meanwhile, Elsewhere edited by Cat Fitzpatrick and Casey Plett
Lambda Literary Awards
In 1989, the Lambda Literary Awards were created to garner national visibility for LGBTQ books, which had established a foothold through a nascent network of lesbian and gay publishers and bookstores. (Source)
Transgender Fiction
2022: Summer Fun by Jeanne Thornton
2021: Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar
2020: Little Blue Encyclopedia (for Vivian) by Hazel Jane Plante
2019: Little Fish by Casey Plett
Bisexual Fiction
2022: We Want What We Want by Alix Ohlin
2021: You Exist Too Much by Zaina Arafat
2020: Exquisite Mariposa by Fiona Alison Duncan
2019: Disoriental by Negar Djavadi
Gay Fiction
2021: Neotenica by Joon Oluchi Lee
2020: Lot by Bryan Washington
2019: Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead
Lesbian Fiction
2021: Fiebre Tropical by Juliana Delgado Lopera
2020: Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn
2019: The Tiger Flu by Larissa Lai
Nebula Award for Best Novel
The Nebula Award for Best Novel annually recognize the best novel of science fiction or fantasy published in the United States. (Source)
2022 Finalists: Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree, Spear by Nicola Griffith, Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher, Babel by R.F. Kuang, Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir, The Mountain and the Sea by Ray Nayler
2021: Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark
Finalists: The Unbroken by C. L. Clark, Machinehood by S.B. Divya, A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine, Plague Birds by Jason Sanford
2020: Network Effect by Martha Wells
2019: A Song For A New Day by Sarah Pinsker
2018: The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
Hugo Award for Best Novel
The Hugo Award for Best Novel is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. (Source)
2022: A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine
Finalists: The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers, Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki, A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir,
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
2021: Network Effect by Martha Wells
2020: A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
2019: The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
Anthony Award for Best Mystery Novel
The Anthony Award for Best Mystery Novel is given at each annual Bouchercon World Mystery Convention The award is named for the late Anthony Boucher (William Anthony Parker White), well-known writer and critic from the San Francisco Chronicle and New York Times, who helped found the Mystery Writers of America. (Source)
2022: Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby
Finalists: Runner by Tracy Clark, , The Collective by Alison Gaylin, Clark and Division by Naomi Hirahara, These Toxic Things by Rachel Howzell Hall
2021: Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby
2020: The Murder List by Hank Phillipi Ryan
2019: November Road by Lou Berney.
International Thriller Writers Award for Best Hardcover Novel
The Thriller Award for Best Hardcover Novel is awarded to the best hardcover novel thriller, published in English for the first time, anywhere in the world, in the past calendar year. (Source)
2022: Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby
Finalists: The Turnout by Megan Abbott, Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney, These Toxic Things by Rachel Howzell Hall, Red Widow by Alma Katsu, I Am Not Who You Think I Am by Eric Rickstad
2021: Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby
2020: The Chain by Adrian McKinty
2019: Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier
Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel
The Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel is awarded by the Mystery Writers of America, and honors the best in mystery fiction. (Source)
2022: Five Decembers by James Kestrel
Finalists: The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen, Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby, How Lucky by Will Leitch, No One Will Miss Her by Kat Rosenfield
2021: Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara
2020: The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths
2019: Down the River Unto the Sea by Walter Mosely
Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Fiction
The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards recognize books that have made important contributions to our understanding of racism and our appreciation of the rich diversity of human cultures. (Source)
2022: The Trees by Percival Everett
2021: Deacon King Kong by James McBride
2020: The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell
2019: There There by Tommy Orange
2018: Sing Unburied Sing by Jesmyn Ward
Eisner Awards
Named for the pioneering comics creator and graphic novelist Will Eisner, the Eisner Awards, are considered the “Oscars” of the comic book industry. They are awarded usually in July. (Source)
2022 Winners:
Best Short Story: “Funeral in Foam,” by Casey Gilly and Raina Telgemeier, in You Died: An Anthology of the Afterlife
Best Single Issue/One-Shot: Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Phil Jimenez
Best Continuing Series: Bitter Root by David F. Walker, Chuck Brown, and Sanford Greene, and
Something Is Killing the Children, by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera
Best Limited Series:
The Good Asian, by Pornsak Pichetshote and Alexandre Tefenkgi
Best New Series:
The Nice House on the Lake by James Tynion IV and Álvaro Martínez Bueno
Woman’s Prize for Fiction
The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the UK’s most prestigious annual book award celebrating & honouring fiction written by women. (Source)
2022: The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki
2021: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
2020: Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
2019: An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Massachusetts Book Award in Fiction
The Massachusetts Book Awards recognize significant works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children’s/young adult literature published by current Commonwealth residents.
2022: The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki
Honorees: An Ordinary Wonder by Buki Papillon, Leaving Coy’s Hill by Katherine A. Sherbrooke
2021: The Bear by Andrew Krivak
Honorees: Inheritors by Asako Serizawa, The Yellow Bird Sings by Jennifer Rosner
2020: On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
2019: The Unmade World by Steve Yarbrough
W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction
This award honors the best fiction set in a period when the United States was at war. It recognizes the service of American veterans and military personnel and encourages the writing and publishing of outstanding war-related fiction. (Source)
2022:
The Eagles Claw by Jeff Shaara
2021: A Quiet Cadence by Mark Treanor
2020: Darkness at Chancellorsville by Ralph Peters
2019: And The Whole Mountain Burned by Ray McPadden
PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Fiction
The PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel honors a debut novel of exceptional merit by an American author who has not previously published a full-length book of fiction. (Source)
2022: Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
2021: Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn
2020: A Prayer for Travelers by Ruchika Tomar
2019: There, There by Tommy Orange
Gold Dagger Award
This award is for the best crime novel by an author of any nationality, originally written in English and first published in the UK during the judging period. (Source)
2022: Sunset Swing by Ray Celestin
2021: We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker
2020: Good Girl, Bad Girl by Michael Robotham
2019: The Puppet Show by M.W. Craven
Updated: March 2023
