The winners of the 75th National Book Awards were announced and honored last night in a gala event in New York City, hosted by Kate McKinnon and featuring musician Jon Batiste. The event was a mix of the usual celebration of reading and books and authors and the industry, as well as an acknowledgement of so many storm clouds in the country and the world.

The winners:

Percival Everett

Fiction: James by Percival Everett (Doubleday)
Percival Everett said in part, "Two weeks ago, I was feeling pretty low, and to tell the truth, I still feel pretty low. And as I look out at this--so much excitement about books--I have to say I do feel some hope. But it's important to remember hope really is no substitute for strategy." Noting that "James has been nicely received in the U.S.," Everett thanked many people, including his "two teenaged sons... whose near complete apathy about my career helps me keep things in perspective."

Jason De Leon

Nonfiction: Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling by Jason De León (Viking Books)
Jason De León called his prize-winning book "a janky little anthropological project about a bunch of banged-up and beaten-up down people who refused to give up hope, and it all started with [a kid] who said to me, 'How come no one listens to us?' I wish that he was here today because then he'd get a kick out of the fact that people are listening to his words now. This award is for him... and everyone out there in the migrant culture who is trying to make ends meet and trying to do the right thing while keeping hope alive."

Lena Khalaf Tuffaha

Poetry: Something About Living by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha (University of Akron Press)
Decrying the "American-funded" war in Gaza, Lena Khalaf Tuffaha noted that her father "was born in Jerusalem, Palestine, in 1938. He sat me down at age five and told me about the homeland he couldn't live in anymore, and that story has carried me through my entire life, has driven me, has motivated me. I'm proud to stand here today and to accept this honor as a Palestinian-American on behalf of all the deeply beautiful Palestinians that this world has lost and in honor of all those miraculous ones who endure, waiting, waiting for us to wake up."

Yáng Shuāng-zǐ and Lin King

Translated Literature: Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ, translated from the Mandarin Chinese by Lin King (Graywolf Press)
In remarks translated by Lin King, Yáng Shuāng-zǐ said in part, "For more than a century, Taiwan has never stopped facing the threat of invasion from another powerful nation [first Japan, now China]. Meanwhile, Taiwanese have a complicated relationship to our own national and ethnic identities. Some of us still identify as Chinese, just as some of us used to identify as Japanese. I write in order to answer the question of what is a Taiwanese person. I write about Taiwan's past as a step into its future."

Shifa Saltagi Safadi

Young People's Literature: Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi (Putnam Books for Young Readers)
Among many others, Shifa Saltagi Safadi thanked her parents "for always believing in me. They came from Syria to give us a better life. It was a struggle, with a new culture and language, and they showed us what it looked like to be strong, proud Muslims. I wouldn't be who I am without my parents." She also thanked "the Muslim authors who stepped forward first and paved the way for me to be inspired to follow my dream of writing. I would not have had the bravery of writing my first words if I had not seen Muslim books on the shelf. I would never have believed I could do it if I had not read the words of the people before me who showed me what it looks like."

In addition, Barbara Kingsolver was presented with the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, and W. Paul Coates was presented with the Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community. Both awards were announced in September.

(photos courtesy National Book Foundation)

Valsoft Corporation, a Canadian company that specializes in the acquisition and development of vertical market software businesses, has acquired Above the Treeline (which includes Edelweiss). The company aims, it said, to deepen Edelweiss's impact in the U.S. "with its flagship suite while also leveraging Valsoft's global reach and expertise to expand internationally." The Edelweiss team will remain in their leadership roles.

Valsoft added that "unlike private equity and VC firms, Valsoft does not have a predefined investment horizon," which often involves selling acquired companies in three to five years. Instead, Valsoft "looks to buy, hold, and create value through long-term partnerships with existing management and customers." It aims to invest in "established businesses and foster an entrepreneurial environment that shapes a company into a leader in its respective industry."

Edelweiss CEO and founder John Rubin said, "Since we started the business in 2002, we've been driven by an unwavering commitment to ensure the long-term health and sustainability of the book industry. We are excited to have Valsoft as a partner in this mission and are confident that our shared values and vision will enable us to maintain our unique culture, drive growth, and secure a strong, enduring future for Edelweiss."

Anthony Caruso, investment partner at Valsoft, said, "We're thrilled to be partnering with John and Annie Rubin to drive forward the modernization of the book industry. Edelweiss has built an unparalleled reputation over the years, and its vibrant ecosystem--connecting industry professionals to discover both new and classic titles--is truly impressive. We're excited to support Edelweiss's continued growth and to bring new features and products that will better serve the industry."

Jamie Fortin, owner of Friends to Lovers in Alexandria, Va., has provided an update on her bookstore, which suffered smoke and water damage in a fire Sunday night: none of the store's books or merchandise "will be safe to sell," and as a result, Fortin has increased he goal of the GoFundMe recovery campaign to $45,000.

Funds raised by the campaign will go toward rebuilding the inventory, finding a new space, and making sure that the bookstore's five booksellers and its social media manager remain employed during that time. So far, the campaign has raised more than $24,300.

Fortin wrote on the campaign page that she was finally able to enter the bookstore and assess the damage on Tuesday. She told WTOP that the "hardest part" was seeing all the custom-made items that were ruined, as they will be "harder to replace."

The fire Sunday night came just hours after Friends to Lovers had finished a weekend's worth of opening celebrations. She said that immediately following the fire, she "had a few days where I just was sad and sat with my cat and drank wine and just could grieve a little bit. But I'm really excited to rebuild."

Fortin expects the building to be unusable at least through the end of the year, and while no specifics have been announced, she is "hoping to start fresh" and find a new space.

She added: "Once I opened, I really feel like I kind of gave the store to the world. It’s not just mine anymore, and it feels like everyone’s really taking that responsibility seriously, and I'm really grateful for it."

Members of the Independent Book Publishers Association and PubWest have voted to combine into a single association operating under the IBPA name, effective July 1, 2025. 

PubWest will cease to operate on June 30, 2025. In advance of the combination date, PubWest members will be migrated into IBPA's database, and IBPA will add a new category of membership for established independent publishers. PubWest programs will be incorporated into IBPA offerings, with a portion available exclusively for established independent publisher members, and former PubWest members will continue to benefit from current PubWest programs, as well as IBPA programs and benefits.

Current IBPA members, meanwhile, will experience no changes to their current benefits while receiving new ones. IBPA members who meet the criteria will also be able to join the established independent publisher membership category.

"Now more than ever," said IBPA CEO Andrea Fleck-Nisbet, "independent publishers need a community where we can come together and, with a collective voice, push for better market access and distribution options, fairer terms and transparency from our trading partners, and the validation of diverse and legitimate publishing models."

Amy Barrett-Daffin, PubWest's board president, said: "We've been talking for years about rebranding, trying to have more of a national presence, trying to change our name, and trying to grow membership. The smartest thing to do is to join forces with another organization to have more of a national presence and expand our reach and our offerings."

The IBPA and PubWest boards approved the proposed combination in their respective meetings in August and September. Earlier this month, PubWest and IBPA membership voted separately in approval of the combination.

More information about the combination can be found here.

Russell Evans

Russell Evans has been named director of business development for Hachette UK Distribution and Hachette Book Group US Distribution. Evans will be responsible for developing client services at Hachette UK and HBGUS Distribution and attracting new client publishers for both territories. Evans had been business development director of Hachette UK Distribution.

In related move, James Linney will take on the new role of CFO of distribution for Hachette UK and Hachette Book Group. He previously had been finance director of Hachette UK Distribution.

Hachette said that Evans and Linney have been "instrumental in the success of Hachette UK Distribution over the last three years." Both will report to Matt Wright, CEO of Hachette UK Distribution and HBGUS Distribution, and the three "will collaborate with local management teams in both countries to improve service and grow the business internationally."

Todd McGarity, v-p, corporate business development & strategy, will continue to support and develop U.S. client business and work closely with Evans.

Hachette Book Group US Distribution handles U.S. distribution for a range of publishers, including Abrams, Chronicle Books, Lonely Planet, Nosy Crow, Phaidon, Quarto, Yen Press, some of whom distribute other publishers.

Shuntaro Tanikawa, "who pioneered modern Japanese poetry, poignant but conversational in its divergence from haiku and other traditions," died November 13, the Associated Press reported. He was 92. Tanikawa also translated the Peanuts comic strip and wrote the lyrics for the theme song of the animation series Astro Boy. 

His first book, Two Billion Light Years of Solitude (1952), "stunned the literary world" and became a bestseller, the AP noted, adding that the poem was "a bold look at the cosmic in daily life, sensual, vivid but simple in its use of everyday language." In his debut work, translated by William I. Elliott and Kazuo Kawamura, he wrote: "Because the universe goes on expanding, we are all uneasy. With the chill of two billion light-years of solitude, I suddenly sneezed." 

"For me, the Japanese language is the ground. Like a plant, I place my roots, drink in the nutrients of the Japanese language, sprouting leaves, flowers and bearing fruit," he said in a 2022 AP interview.

Collections of his poetry in English include The Selected Poems of Shuntaro Tanikawa, translated by Harold Wright (1983); Floating the River in Melancholy, translated by Elliott & Kawamura (1989), which won an American Book Award; Selected Poems, translated by Elliott (2001); and The Art of Being Alone: Poems 1952–2009, translated by Takako Lento (2011). Among his many honors are a Yomiuri Prize, an Asahi Prize, and a Zhongkun International Poetry Award.

Tanikawa wrote the script for Kon Ichikawa's documentary film Tokyo Olympiad, about the 1964 games. He also translated Mother Goose, Maurice Sendak, and Leo Lionni. Some of his works were made into children's picture books.

Noting that he wasn't afraid of death, Tanikawa observed: "I am more curious about where I will go when I die. It's a different world, right? Of course, I don't want pain. I don't want to die after major surgery or anything. I just want to die, all of a sudden."

Japan Forward noted that from "the minutiae of daily life to the vast expanse of the universe, Tanikawa's poetry, with its rhythmic and transparent everyday language, was widely adored. An ambitious dream drove his lifelong dedication to poetry: to deliver the same profound emotions through words as one experiences when listening to music."

Regarding his poetry, Tanikawa wrote: "I want to present beautiful combinations of the Japanese language. My dream is for poetry to be like the flowers of nature--simple, with no particular message or meaning, yet universally appreciated as beautiful."

Author Nicholas Van Hoogstraten (r.), actor/director Ron Fassler (l.) and David Leopold, creative director of the Al Hirschfeld Foundation, discussed the history of Broadway show posters and Van Hoogstraten's new illustrated book, Broadway Poster Art (Schiffer Publishing), at Rizzoli Bookstore, located, appropriately, on Broadway in Manhattan.

Posted on Instagram by Bonsai Books, Cheyenne, Wyo.: "We had our first timed book shopping spree! Remember to support locally owned businesses. Thanks for all your support."

Betty's Books, Webster Groves, Mo., shared photos on Instagram of the shop's winter-themed storefront window art, noting: "Our beloved @katieschaeferillustration outdid herself again!! This year's winter window design is yeti-tastic, and has us ready for the holiday shopping season. Thanks for another stellar job Katie!!"

At Simon & Schuster:

Michael Andersen has joined the corporate marketing team as senior director of audience insights. He was previously director of cultural intelligence at Simon Element.

Imani Seymour has been promoted to senior manager, multicultural marketing and social media.

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Taylor Noel has been promoted to director of marketing for Ballantine Bantam Dell at the Random House Publishing Group.

Tomorrow:
Good Morning America: Terri Cole, author of Too Much: A Guide to Breaking the Cycle of High-Functioning Codependency (Sounds True, $28.99, 9781649631862).
 
Live with Kelly and Mark: Cher, author of Cher: The Memoir: Part One (Dey Street, $36, 9780062863102).
 
Drew Barrymore Show: Keke Palmer, author of Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative (Flatiron, $27.99, 9781250372512).

Book TV airs on C-Span 2 this weekend from 8 a.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Monday and focuses on political and historical books as well as the book industry. The following are highlights for this coming weekend. For more information, go to Book TV's website.

Saturday, November 23
8:55 a.m. Sarah Smarsh, author of Bone of the Bone: Essays on America by a Daughter of the Working Class (Scribner, $29.99, 9781668055601), at Watermark Books & Cafe in Wichita, Kan. (Re-airs Saturday at 8:55 p.m.)

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Live coverage of the 2024 Miami Book Fair. Highlights include:

• 11 a.m. Stacey Abrams, author of Stacey Speaks Up (HarperCollins, $19.99, 9780063271876).
• 12 p.m. Malcolm Gladwell, author of Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering (‎Little, Brown, $32, 9780316575805).
• 1 p.m. Kara Swisher, author of Burn Book: A Tech Love Story (‎Simon & Schuster, $30, 9781982163891).
• 4 p.m. Frank Bruni, author of The Age of Grievance (Avid Reader Press, $28.99, 9781668016435).
• 5 p.m. Patrick J. Kennedy, co-author of Profiles in Mental Health Courage (Dutton, $30, 9780593471760).

6 p.m. James S. Burling, author of Nowhere to Live: The Hidden Story of America's Housing Crisis (Skyhorse, $32.99, 9781510781535).

7:05 p.m. Meghan Kallman and Josephine Ferorelli, authors of The Conceivable Future: Planning Families and Taking Action in the Age of Climate Change (‎Rowman & Littlefield, $26, 9781538179697).

Sunday, November 24
8 a.m. Mario Livio, author of Is Earth Exceptional?: The Quest for Cosmic Life (Basic Books, $32, 9781541602960). (Re-airs Sunday at 8 p.m.)

10 a.m. Stephanie Gorton, author of The Icon and the Idealist: Margaret Sanger, Mary Ware Dennett, and the Rivalry That Brought Birth Control to America (‎Ecco, $32, 9780063036291). (Re-airs Sunday at 10 p.m.)

3 p.m. Griffin Dunne, author of The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir (Penguin Press, $30, 9780593652824), at the Miami Book Fair.

4 p.m. Joy Buolamwini, author of Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What Is Human in a World of Machines (‎Random House, $22, 9780593241844), at the Miami Book Fair.

5 p.m. Ben Macintyre, author of The Siege: A Six-Day Hostage Crisis and the Daring Special-Forces Operation That Shocked the World (‎Crown, $32, 9780593728093).

An American university press-dominated shortlist has been unveiled for the 2024 Bookseller's Diagram Prize for the Oddest Book Title of the Year. The award was conceived in 1978 by Trevor Bounford and Bruce Robertson, co-founders of publishing solutions firm the Diagram Group, as a way to avoid boredom at the Frankfurt Book Fair. The winning title is chosen by members of the public via an online vote, and a winner announced December 6.

This year's shortlisted titles are:

Killing the Buddha on the Appalachian Trail by John Turner
Boston's Oldest Buildings and Where to Find Them by Joseph M. Bagley
The Philosopher Fish: Sturgeon, Caviar, and the Geography of Desire by Rick Carey
How to Dungeon Master Parenting by Shelly Mazzanoble
Hell-Bent for Leather: Sex and Sexuality in the Weird Western, edited by Kerry Fine, Michael K. Johnson, Rebecca M. Lush, & Sara L. Spurgeon
Speculum: Examining the Women's Health Movement by Judith Houck

There is no prize for the winning author or publisher, but traditionally a "passable bottle of claret" is given to the nominator of the winning entry.

Selected new titles appearing next Tuesday, November 26:
 
Freedom: Memoirs 1954-2021 by Angela Merkel (St. Martin's Press, $40, 9781250319906) is a memoir by the former Chancellor of Germany.
 
Memories of Distant Mountains: Illustrated Notebooks, 2009-2022 by Orhan Pamuk, trans. by Ekin Oklap (Knopf, $40, 9780593801246) contains daily thoughts and illustrations from the Nobel Prize-winning author.
 
City of Night Birds: A Novel by Juhea Kim (Ecco, $30, 9780063394759) follows a formerly famous Russian ballerina.
 
Robert B. Parker's Hot Property by Mike Lupica (Putnam, $30, 9780593716137) is the 52nd book in the Spenser mystery series.
 
Christmas in Bethel by Richard Paul Evans (Gallery Books, $19.99, 9781668014882) is about a Christmas romance between an EMT and an author.
 
The Herringbone Harbor Mystery by Sally Goldenbaum (Kensington, $27, 9781496747181) is the seventh Seaside Knitters Society cozy mystery.
 
Naples 1343: The Unexpected Origins of the Mafia by Amedeo Feniello and Antony Shugaar (Other Press, $29.99, 9781590511039) explores an early occurrence of familial criminal enterprise in Naples.
 
Four Against the West: The True Saga of a Frontier Family That Reshaped the Nation--and Created a Legend by Joe Pappalardo (St. Martin's Press, $32, 9781250287540) is a biography of American frontier figures Roy Bean and his brothers.
 
Alice in a Winter Wonderland by Jan Brett (Putnam, $19.99, 9780593533888) is another extravagantly illustrated picture book from Brett that places Alice in Wonderland in the Alaskan tundra.
 
Darkly by Marisha Pessl (Delacorte, $19.99, 9780593706558) features a young woman chosen for an internship at a game company with deadly secrets.
 
Paperbacks:
A Worthington Wedding by Ella Quinn (Zebra, $8.99, 9781420156959).
 
Thomas Keating: The Making of a Modern Christian Mystic by Cynthia Bourgeault (Shambhala, $24.95, 9781645471844).
 
2084 and the AI Revolution, Updated and Expanded Edition: How Artificial Intelligence Informs Our Future by John C. Lennox (Zondervan, $27.99, 9780310166641).
 
The Best Horror of the Year, Volume Sixteen, edited by Ellen Datlow (Night Shade, $19.99, 9781949102734).
 
Murder at the Lemonberry Tea: A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery by Darci Hannah (Kensington Cozies, $8.99, 9781496747402).

From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:

Hardcover
Libby Lost and Found: A Novel by Stephanie Booth (Sourcebooks Landmark, $27.99, 9781728278506). "A delightful read! Full of endearing characters who collide with heartwarming results: an author of a beloved children's series over deadline due to early onset Alzheimer's, a tiny intrepid superfan, and her wacky family and town." --Alana Haley, Schuler Books, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Metal from Heaven by August Clarke (Erewhon Books, $28, 9781645660989,). "A glorious, feverish, wholly lesbian feast. Boundary-pushing prose that's not safe and same-y sounding. Follows through on the promise and consequence of violent revolution, and gives us a vision of anti- and post-capitalist community possibility." --Allison Senecal, Old Firehouse Books, Fort Collins, Colo.

Paperback
Blue Light Hours: A Novel by Bruna Dantas Lobato (Grove Press, Black Cat, $17, 9780802163776). "A narrative intimately rendered with sparse prose, layered with empathy for its dual mother-daughter protagonists. Blue Light Hours is a stunner of a debut novel, seemingly stretching beyond its 192-page count and burying deep within your bones." --Taylor Carlton, Brazos Bookstore, Houston, Tex.

Ages 4-8
Drawn Onward by Daniel Nayeri, illus. by Matt Rockefeller (HarperAlley, $19.99, 9780063277168). "Now here is a grief book that I can recommend. As a mom, it is healing to read. The sparse prose says just enough. The rich illustrations carry it along and fill the reader up. A beautiful book." --Naomi Chamblin, Napa Bookmine, Napa, Calif.

Ages 8-12
Noodle & Bao by Shaina Lu (Quill Tree Books, $24.99, 9780063283411). "Momo's town is becoming more expensive and edging out small businesses like Noodle and Bao's beloved restaurant. This book is an incredibly helpful tool for helping young people understanding gentrification and its impact--and it's just a great story." --Milo Michels, University Book Store, Seattle, Wash.

Teen Readers: An Indies Introduce Title
Tangleroot by Kalela Williams (Feiwel & Friends, $19.99, 9781250880666). "Sometimes your family history is as tangled as the vines on the ground. When Noni is forced to make a new home in the 'Big House' built by an enslaved ancestor, she may discover truths about herself and her family that none could have imagined." --Sally Sue Lavigne, The Storybook Shoppe, Bluffton, S.C.

[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]

Charmaine Wilkerson's powerful second novel, Good Dirt, explores the lasting effects of a long-ago tragedy and its connection to a beloved family heirloom. Through the history of the Freeman family and the provenance of a handmade pottery jar affectionately known as "Old Mo," Wilkerson (Black Cake) considers family secrets, race and respectability politics, the long-term nature of childhood trauma, and the complexity of American history.

The well-off Freeman family has deep roots in New England: both in Refuge County, Mass., and more recently on the Connecticut coast, where Ed and Isabella, known as Soh, live with their children, Baz and Ebby. On an autumn day in the year 2000, two armed burglars break into their house to find the children at home unexpectedly. The encounter results in Baz's murder; Old Mo is shattered into fragments, and 10-year-old Ebby experiences a trauma that will haunt her for the rest of her life.

Wilkerson continues her narrative years later with a different kind of tragedy, as Ebby's wealthy white fiancé, Henry, fails to show up for their wedding. Heartbroken and humiliated, Ebby later flees to France, where a friend offers to host her and asks Ebby to manage the estate's guest cottage. The first guests are Henry and his new girlfriend, forcing Ebby to interact with the man she loved and lost, and Henry to confront his own guilt and inadequacies.

Wilkerson then reaches back a few centuries to explore the Freemans' connection to pottery-making, stretching back to an unnamed African village. The narrative follows Moses, who becomes a skilled potter in South Carolina, and his brother-in-law, Willis, who eventually works his way north to freedom. The jar, made under enslavement, holds more history than even Ebby and her parents can guess, and Wilkerson excavates some of that history through the stories of Moses, Willis, and their descendants.

In the present day, Ebby begins to ask questions about Old Mo and the circumstances of its attempted theft, as she reckons with the pain Henry caused her and the lingering trauma from Baz's death. Ed and Soh, too, have their own questions to sit with and their actions to consider. Wilkerson probes the layers of each family member's connection to the jar; their deep love for one another and fierce pride in their heritage; and the guilt they all carry, logical or not, relating to Baz's death. Even as they continue to bear their losses, Ebby and her parents find redemption and hope in unexpected places.

Layered and complex, Wilkerson's novel brilliantly sculpts a story of quiet resistance, skilled craftsmanship, and dedication to family and freedom. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams

Shelf Talker: Charmaine Wilkerson's powerful second novel explores family, resistance, and skilled craftsmanship through the story of a handmade jar known as "Old Mo."