The winners have been announced for the 2024 Kirkus Prizes, in fiction, nonfiction and young readers' literature. The awards were chosen from books reviewed by Kirkus Reviews; each winner receives $50,000.
Fiction winner: James by Percival Everett (Doubleday). The citation reads, "In Percival Everett's audacious reimagining of Huckleberry Finn, Jim--the enslaved man who travels the Mississippi River with Huck--is revealed as James, who can write, argue with Voltaire, and speak in elevated English. This enthralling novel can be read on its own, but Everett has made it a necessary companion to Twain's masterpiece."
Nonfiction winner: Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space by Adam Higginbotham (Avid Reader Press). "Meticulously reported, beautifully written, and devastating in its account of an entirely preventable tragedy, Adam Higginbotham's book reveals the facts of a news story many Americans recall but few understand: the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in January 1986, killing all seven crew members on board. The author lucidly details the technical issues that led to the disaster but, more crucially, he shines a light on the human failings--as well as the bravery--that were on display in this epochal event."
Young Readers' Literature winner: Gather by Kenneth M. Cadow (Candlewick). "Humor, grace, and tenderness bring to life this beautifully realized story. Ian, a white teen growing up in rural poverty and struggling with his mother's opioid addiction, finds support and community in the friends, neighbors, and random caregivers he gathers--all symbolized by the stray dog who gives the novel its title."
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Historiae, translated from the Italian by Susan Stewart and Patrizio Ceccagnoli (New York Review Books) has won the 2024 Derek Walcott Prize, sponsored by Arrowsmith Press and the Derek Walcott Festival in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, and honoring a full-length book of poems by a living poet who is not a U.S. citizen (green card holders welcome). The book was chosen by Diane Mehta, the author of two poetry collections, Tiny Extravaganzas (2023) and Forest with Castanets (2019), and a forthcoming essay collection, Happier Far (2025). The winner and translators share a $2,000 prize.