Percival Everett’s novel “James,” a retelling of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” from the perspective of Huck’s enslaved companion, Jim, won the National Book Award for fiction, flipping the classic Mark Twain work to explore racism from Jim’s point of view. In his acceptance speech, Everett spoke about the power of books to bring people together during challenging times, alluding to the current political climate. The idea for “James” came to him while playing tennis, prompting him to give Jim a voice and portray him as a literate, thoughtful man. Critics have praised Everett’s retelling as a “slyly funny masterpiece.”
Jason De León’s “Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling” won the National Book Award in the nonfiction category, while author Barbara Kingsolver and W. Paul Coates received lifetime achievement awards. The decision to honor Coates has faced criticism due to his press reprinting an essay deemed antisemitic, but the National Book Foundation defended him, stating that he was being honored for his overall body of work. The foundation emphasizes free expression while condemning anti-Semitism and bigotry. Ruth Dickey, the executive director, clarified this stance, stating that examining a publisher’s work may uncover individual works or opinions that are disagreeable or offensive.
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