New Voices, Deep Truths: National Book Awards Longlist Shines Light on Stories That Matter
The 2025 National Book Awards longlist has been announced, and it is already generating excitement across the literary world. This year’s nominees span fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translated works, and young people’s literature, offering a snapshot of how books and literature continue to evolve and respond to the complexities of our time. Among the most talked-about names on the list are Angela Flournoy, Susan Choi, and Yiyun Li, each bringing a distinct voice and powerful new work to the forefront. The winners will be revealed on November 19 in Manhattan, following the announcement of finalists on October 7.
Angela Flournoy’s return with The Wilderness has been met with enthusiasm, marking a decade since her debut, The Turner House, which earned her a place as a National Book Awards finalist. Her latest work balances the sweep of history with intimate portraits of family, identity, and belonging. Susan Choi, herself a previous winner for Trust Exercise, adds Flashlight to the conversation, a multigenerational story that unfolds across continents and decades, probing grief, identity, and memory. Yiyun Li, known for her lyrical style and unflinching honesty, offers a memoir titled Things in Nature Merely Grow, in which she reflects on the loss of her two teenage sons. Her writing reminds us how books and literature can provide a space to wrestle with pain while still searching for meaning.
The longlist is remarkable not only for its high-profile names but also for the wide range of themes and genres it embraces. Nonfiction selections dive into cultural histories and urgent social questions, from Julia Ioffe’s exploration of women’s roles in modern Russia to Claudia Rowe’s investigation of the foster care system. In the category of translated literature, readers encounter perspectives from across the globe, including Han Kang’s haunting We Do Not Part, which sheds light on the Jeju Uprising, and other works that bring stories from Arabic, Spanish, and Korean traditions into English. Poetry and young people’s literature are also richly represented, with writers like Ibi Zoboi, Kyle Lukoff, and Amber McBride offering work that speaks to identity, activism, and resilience.
What stands out about this year’s list is its emotional intensity and its willingness to tackle difficult questions. Many of these books explore grief, migration, political oppression, or systemic injustice, but they do so with a creativity that transforms hardship into art. It is a reminder that the best books are not only reflections of their moment but also tools for deeper connection, empathy, and understanding. The blending of emerging voices with established authors also adds to the richness: readers can see both the continuity of literary tradition and the new directions in which it is heading.
The National Book Awards longlist has always served as a kind of map of contemporary literature, and the 2025 edition is no different. It showcases the remarkable diversity of the field of books and literature, ranging from experimental memoirs to classic mystery-style narratives, from verse to expansive historical sagas. This year, that diversity feels especially important, reflecting a world in flux and an audience hungry for stories that both challenge and comfort. As the literary community counts down to the announcement of the winners, one thing is already sure: the works highlighted on this list will spark conversations and inspire readers well beyond awards season.
Beyond the most recognisable names, the longlist also celebrates a new generation of authors from around the globe who are carving out space in international literature. Indian-American writer Megha Majumdar, already acclaimed for A Burning, makes her mark again with a novel that blends political urgency with deeply personal storytelling. From Latin America, writers like Gabriela Wiener continue to push boundaries, drawing on hybrid forms of memoir and journalism to highlight themes of identity, diaspora, and gender. In the realm of translation, Arabic voices such as Hoda Barakat are introducing Anglophone audiences to narratives that intertwine war, displacement, and resilience in profoundly human ways.
The deliberate effort by the National Book Foundation to highlight diverse perspectives and new forms of storytelling. In many ways, these up-and-coming writers embody the future of books and literature, a future where borders are blurred, genres mix freely, and stories once overlooked now claim a central place in global culture.
