September 13, 2013
Women dominate the National Book Foundation’s 5 Under 35 list
by Julia Fleischaker
In the immortal words of Annie Lennox, the sisters are doin’ it for themselves. For the first time in its eight year history, women have swept the 2013 National Book Foundation’s 5 Under 35 list. While this is a first, female writers have been well represented in earlier years, with previous authors including Danielle Evans, Tea Obreht, Karen Russell, and ZZ Packer among others. The inaugural list included two women, but by 2011, 4 of the 5 authors were women. (Last year’s crop was as close to evenly split as possible, with 3 female and 2 male honorees.)
5 Under 35 authors are chosen by a panel of past National Book Award finalists and winners. The National Book Foundation’s website lists each author, and the author that selected them:
- Molly Antopol, The UnAmericans, (W.W. Norton & Company, February 2014)
Selected by Jesmyn Ward, National Book Award Winner in 2011 for Salvage the Bones- NoViolet Bulawayo, We Need New Names, (Reagan Arthur Books/Little, Brown, 2013)
Selected by Junot Díaz, National Book Award Finalist in 2012 for This is How You Lose Her- Amanda Coplin, The Orchardist, (Harper, 2012)
Selected by Louise Erdrich, National Book Award Winner in 2012 for The Round House- Daisy Hildyard, Hunters in the Snow, (Jonathan Cape, Random House UK, 2013)
Selected by Kevin Powers, National Book Award Finalist in 2012 for The Yellow Birds- Merritt Tierce, Love Me Back, (Doubleday, fall 2014Selected by Ben Fountain, National Book Award Finalist in 2012 for Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
Julia Fleischaker is the director of marketing and publicity at Melville House.