National Book Awards, 2011

The first annual National Book Awards, given to writers by writers, were presented in March of 1950. Since then, such writers as William Faulkner, Saul Bellow, Flannery O’Connor, Joyce Carol Oates, Alice Walker, John Updike, and Bernard Malamud have been recognized by their peers. More recent winners include Julia Glass, Richard Powers and Jonathan Franzen.

This year’s National Book Award Finalists were announced on Oct. 12, 2011 on Oregon Public Radio.

Of the 315 submitted fiction titles, the following were chosen as finalists:   

The Sojourn - Andrew Krivak

The Tiger's Wife - Téa Obreht

Buddha in the Attic - Julie Otsuka

Binocular Vision - Edith Pearlman

Salvage the Bones - Jesmyn Ward

Which book will claim the honor for 2011? You can find out on November 16^th by going to The National Book's website at 7 p.m. to watch John Lithgow host the announcement event. No matter who wins, we are left with a list of five outstanding books, all of which can be checked out at Glenview Public Library.