Volume XLIII: The Pros and Cons of Book Awards
Are they even still necessary?
Introduction
Fall brings with it not just cooler weather, but a number of book awards. Yet many readers aren’t aware of how these awards are given, and who runs them. Are they susceptible to the same issues the rest of the publishing industry possesses?
The Nobel Prize in Literature, the National Book Award, Booker Prize…starting in October, the publishing industry churns out awards. In part, the timing is to help with holiday shopping, and fall already tends to be a buzzy season for publishing as the biggest releases roll out.
While many readers turn to these awards religiously to inform their reading, considering them signs of prestige and merit, many pay no attention at all. Regardless, these awards and other “best of” roundups are typically very indicative of the industry, showcasing habits and biases.
In this issue, we’re taking a look at some of the biggest awards announced in the fall and their reputations, as well as some alternative ways readers can discover great stories that might not receive as much publicity or attention.
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A Deeper Look
While awards take place throughout the year (for example, the Newbery and Caldecott Medals are awarded in January, the International Booker Prize in May, and the Women’s Prize for Fiction and Nonfiction in June), many awards announce winners in the fall. And regardless of the weight we as individual readers put on these awards and their outcomes, the publishing industry holds them very highly. The fact that publishers (and some readers) can “tell” which books seem “perfect” for award season typically speaks to the type of books that would be considered—and those that would not.
Romance novels? No, not “literary” enough. Books straight to paperback? For U.S. awards, likely not. Books by BIPOC, disabled, and/or LGBTQIA+ authors? Perhaps more frequently awarded in recent years, but historically and overwhelmingly, no. (To that point, some awards have undergone recent adjustments to better ensure a diversity of nominations and winners—more on that soon—but many have also not.)
To help showcase how awards are submitted and given, including some of the systemic issues they’re rooted in, here’s a breakdown of fall’s biggest* book awards:
*There are thousands of book awards from around the world, but (unfortunately and unsurprisingly) western publishing tends to hold western prizes as "best."
Nobel Prize in Literature
Awarded in October, the 2024 winner was Han Kang, author of The Vegetarian, among other stories. Some awards require submissions from publishers; the Nobel Prize is one of a handful that doesn’t. Instead, a few invited people are eligible to submit, including past winners, members of the Swedish Academy (more on them in a moment), professors of literature and linguistics, and a handful of others. And, nobody can receive the Prize without being on the shortlist at least twice.
Managed by the Swedish Academy, the Nobel Prize is given to an author based on the “ideal direction” of their body of work as a whole. And while the criteria for this award has led to some problems and varying interpretations (what constitutes an ideal direction? And what viewpoints does this represent and not represent?), the main problems with the Prize have come from the committee itself. The Swedish Academy, overseen by the King of Sweden, is made of eighteen members who are elected for life. (By being a member, they also commit to weekly dinners at a restaurant they own in Stockholm and get access to very nice apartments.) Up until 2018, when one individual with a relationship to the committee was found guilty of multiple accounts of sexual assault and bribery, these members were not allowed to resign or leave the Academy.
And, as these individuals are appointed for life (in a country not necessarily known for its diversity), you might have guessed that The Eighteen (as they call themselves) is very white. This has clearly manifested itself in winners of the Prize, as very few authors of color have won. Toni Morrison is the only Black woman to have won so far, back in 1993, and winners have mostly been European and English-language writers.
National Book Awards
First established in 1936 by the American Booksellers Association (ABA) and later re-established in 1950, the National Book Awards (NBA) is awarded to U.S. authors in celebration of “the best literature.” Publishers do submit for these awards, and Panel Chairs can nominate books that weren’t submitted. It wasn’t until this year that the NBA modified rules so that nominees no longer require U.S. citizenship for eligibility (which the Pulitzer had announced in 2023). This move was long overdue, particularly for an award that judges “the best writing in America.” Among the NBA’s biggest “scandals” include the snub of Toni Morrison’s Beloved in 1987 for Larry Heinemann's Paco's Story.
Like the Nobel Prize, the judges and nominees haven’t historically been a diverse group of individuals, although that has started to change in recent years with 2024’s judging panel showcasing a range of well-loved authors from across the industry. We hope this not only remains the case but that the NBA continues to transform the award. And because the judges change consistently, (in theory) the books awarded should be less predictable.
Booker Prize
Originally not open to writers from the States—only to writers from “the Commonwealth,” openly showcasing the British Empire’s imperialist values—the Booker Prize can be awarded to any author from around the globe for “the best sustained work of fiction” as long as it is “written in English and published in the UK and Ireland.” The winner is announced in November, and, like the NBA, judges change every year.
The Booker Prize didn’t award a Black woman until 2019—Bernardine Evaristo—and even then it was won jointly with author Margaret Atwood. And judges have selected and reviewed nominations through homophobic, transphobic, racist, and sexist lenses, taking into consideration what’s most “palatable” for readers. In 2005, they announced the International Booker Prize (not awarded at the same time), to recognize books not originally written in English.
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What does all this mean? These awards are valued as the tell of an exceptional book or writer—the stories that publishers rush to sign and market, bookstores often promote front and center, and readers discover first when searching for their next read. But these processes are overwhelmingly flawed, rooted in not just harmful practices, but sheer biases and personal preferences.
Ways to Respond
Many readers—including us—question whether book awards (or best of lists, for that matter) are even necessary. In an era in which it’s arguably easier than ever to discover your next read, are they outdated? So many of these awards and roundups feature the same books again and again, meaning the same books are earning sales (which feeds into which authors the publishers do and don’t grant higher advances and marketing budgets to in the future). Why invest in these awards if there are other ways to ensure more books—especially those by authors that have been systemically and historically excluded from publishing and book awards—get attention?
Now, to be clear, we’re not saying that all book awards are bad, and that readers shouldn’t pay attention to them or give them any weight. What we are saying is that, as with every other area of reading, it serves us well to be mindful of the biases and methods that go into judging these books, and to not just depend upon awards for our reading decisions. Book awards can be a fantastic way for readers to discover a new favorite story, and to give authors the chance to really make a living at writing—something that is harder and harder in the traditional publishing world.
(Even that might not be true, however; acclaimed author N.K. Jemisin only received a $25,000 advance for each entry in her Dreamblood duology and her Broken Earth trilogy, despite being nominated for Hugo Awards—a major literary honor for science fiction writers—in 2010 and 2011 and winning in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Publishing’s ingrained racism at its finest and part of the reason why #PublishingPaidMe was and is so important.)
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of book awards out there, and from all around the globe. Based on our areas of interest, we can find book awards that resonate with us and that are invested in creating a more equitable reading space for all. This Wikipedia page is just for literary awards, and it’s probably missing many and not totally accurate, but could be a good place to start. We can also see which awards, if any, our favorite authors have been nominated for or won, and seek out which awards our favorite indie presses are being recognized by.
Beyond awards, we can also, as always, ensure that we’re following a diverse range of content creators and media outlets, and see what they’re loving to find our next read. And, of course, turning to our favorite bookstores and booksellers for recommendations is always a great move (not in store? Libro.fm has a great Bookseller Pick section!)—especially when these stores go beyond displaying simply what we see everywhere else.
Final Musings
Courtney of @TheBusyBlackBookworm and founder of Call and Response Chicago recently shared a series of Instagram Stories in response to the top Goodreads books of the past five years, which were overwhelmingly by white, cishet authors. The posts detailed why this isn’t just about the publishing industry and readers needing to diversify their reads, but rather about how, frankly, white people have had every opportunity to diversify their reads—and have so many avenues for discovery—and just don’t care or haven’t put in the effort to try. And just like the Goodreads list, awards are largely a reflection of readers. We still have a deep problem. Many of these awards simply don’t care to change, and never will—and for that they don’t deserve our attention or support.
That being said, we’ve been pleased to see some meaningful changes made to various book award programs over the past few years, and we hope this continues and that new awards rooted in equitable practices are launched.
On another note—U.S. friends, the election is less than a week away. Have you made your voting plan yet? Check out what’s on your ballot and do your research (reading is a great place to start) so you know how to vote. And a reminder that voting in every election (national, state, and local) is critical to creating change.
As always, continue to demand a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon by contacting our reps. Especially as the election takes place, this is all the more important. The Israeli government has used U.S. events and holidays in the past to escalate attacks because our media coverage is less focused on their actions.
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Xx,
ad astra