National Book Foundation Reveals 2018 5 Under 35 Honorees

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The National Book Foundation has announced its 2018 5 Under 35 honorees. The list is “a selection of debut fiction writers under the age of 25 whose work promises to leave a lasting impression on the literary landscape,” according to the organization. Nominees are chosen by previous National Book Award winners, finalists and longlisted authors, or writers previously recognized by the 5 Under 35 program.

The 2018 5 Under 35 honorees are as follows: Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, for his story collection Friday Black; Hannah Lillith Assadi, for her novel Sonora; Akwaeke Emezi, for their novel Freshwater; Lydia Kiesling, for the novel The Golden State; and Moriel Rothman-Zecher, for his novel Sadness Is a White Bird.

The honorees were chosen because of their handling of “issues of race, cultural identity, loyalty, displacement and more,” according to the NBF’s press release. The honorees will be celebrated at an invitation-only ceremony on Nov. 12. They will also receive a $1,000 prize.