National Book Award
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The
National Book Awards are among the most eminent literary prizes in the
United States. Started in 1950, the awards are presented annually to American authors for literature published in the prior year, as well as lifetime achievement awards including the "Medal of Distinguished Contribution to American Letters" and the "Literarian Award". The purpose of the awards is "to raise the cultural appreciation of great writing in America." In 1988 the
National Book Foundation was established which now oversees and manages the National Book Awards.
Awards are given in each of four categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and young people's literature. Awards have been given in various other categories, which have since been retired or subsumed into the remaining categories.
The winners are selected in each category by an independent, expert and volunteer five-member judging panel. Panels typically look at and read hundreds of books in each category. A chair from each panel announces the runners-up and winner during the "The National Book Awards Ceremony and Dinner" held each year in November. The winner receive a $10,000 cash prize and a crystal sculpture, finalists each receive $1,000.
Winners of the National Book Awards
Current categories
Fiction
Nonfiction
Poetry
See: National Book Award for Poetry
| 1950
|
| William Carlos Williams
| Paterson: Book III and Selected Poems |
| 1951
|
| Wallace Stevens
| The Auroras of Autumn |
| 1952
|
| Marianne Moore
| Collected Poems |
| 1953
|
| Archibald MacLeish
| Collected Poems, 1917-1952 |
| 1954
|
| Conrad Aiken
| Collected Poems |
| 1955
|
| Wallace Stevens
| The Collected Poems of Wallace Stevens |
| 1956
|
| W.H. Auden
| The Shield of Achilles |
| 1957
|
| Richard Wilbur
| Things of This World |
| 1958
|
| Robert Penn Warren
| Promises: Poems, 1954-1956 |
| 1959
|
| Theodore Roethke
| Words for the Wind |
| 1960
|
| Robert Lowell
| Life Studies |
| 1961
|
| Randall Jarrell
| The Woman at the Washington Zoo |
| 1962
|
| Alan Dugan
| Poems |
| 1963
|
| William Stafford
| Traveling Through the Dark |
| 1964
|
| John Crowe Ransom
| Selected Poems |
| 1965
|
| Theodore Roethke
| The Far Field |
| 1966
|
| James Dickey
| Buckdancer's Choice |
| 1967
|
| James Merrill
| Nights and Days |
| 1968
|
| Robert Bly
| The Light Around the Body |
| 1969
|
| John Berryman
| His Toy, His Dream, His Rest |
| 1970
|
| Elizabeth Bishop
| The Complete Poems |
| 1971
|
| Mona Van Duyn
| To See, To Take |
| 1972
|
| Frank O'Hara
| The Collected Works of Frank O'Hara |
| 1972
|
| Howard Moss
| Selected Poems |
| 1973
|
| A. R. Ammons
| Collected Poems, 1951-1971 |
| 1974
|
| Allen Ginsberg
| The Fall of America: Poems of these States, 1965-1971 |
| 1974
|
| Adrienne Rich
| Diving into the Wreck: Poems 1971-1972 |
| 1975
|
| Marilyn Hacker
| Presentation Piece |
| 1976
|
| John Ashbery
| Self-portrait in a Convex Mirror |
| 1977
|
| Richard Eberhart
| Collected Poems, 1930-1976 |
| 1978
|
| Howard Nemerov
| The Collected Poems of Howard Nemerov |
| 1979
|
| James Merrill
| Mirabell: Book of Numbers |
| 1980
|
| Philip Levine
| Ashes: Poems New and Old |
| 1981
|
| Lisel Mueller
| The Need to Hold Still |
| 1982
|
| William Bronk
| Life Supports: New and Collected Poems |
| 1983
|
| Galway Kinnell
| Selected Poems |
| 1983
|
| Charles Wright
| Country Music: Selected Early Poems |
| 1985
|
| No Award |
| 1986
|
| No Award |
| 1987
|
| No Award |
| 1988
|
| No Award |
| 1989
|
| No Award |
| 1990
|
| No Award |
| 1991
|
| Philip Levine
| What Work Is |
| 1992
|
| Mary Oliver
| New & Selected Poems |
| 1993
|
| A. R. Ammons
| Garbage |
| 1994
|
| James Tate
| A Worshipful Company of Fletchers'' |
| 1995
|
| Stanley Kunitz
| Passing Through: The Later Poems |
| 1996
|
| Hayden Carruth
| Scrambled Eggs & Whiskey |
| 1997
|
| William Meredith
| Effort at Speech: New & Selected Poems |
| 1998
|
| Gerald Stern
| This Time: New and Selected Poems |
| 1999
|
| Ai
| Vice: New & Selected Poems |
| 2000
|
| Lucille Clifton
| Blessing the Boats: New and Selected Poems 1988-2000 |
| 2001
|
| Alan Dugan
| Poems Seven: New and Complete Poetry |
| 2002
|
| Ruth Stone
| In the Next Galaxy |
| 2003
|
| C. K. Williams
| The Singing |
| 2004
|
| Jean Valentine
| Door in the Mountain: New and Collected Poems, 1965-2003 |
| 2005
|
| W. S. Merwin
| Migration: New & Selected Poems |
| 2006
|
| Nathaniel Mackey
| Splay Anthem |
| 2007
|
| Robert Hass
| Time and Materials: Poems, 1997-2005 |
Young People's Literature
Previous categories
In 1964, the categories Arts and Letters, History and Biography & Science, Philosophy and Religion categories had the addendum (Nonfiction).
In 1981, Children's Books, Fiction was called Children's Book, Fiction; and in 1983 it was called Children's Fiction.
In 1981, Children's Books, Non-fiction was called Children's Book, Nonfiction.
In 1983 Children's Books, Picture Books was called Children's Books, Picture Books.
First Novel
First Work of Fiction
Science Fiction
Mystery
Western
Original Paperback
General Nonfiction
Arts and Letters
History and Biography
History
Biography
Biography and Autobiography
Autobiography
Autobiography/Biography
Science, Philosophy and Religion
The Sciences
Science
Philosophy and Religion
Religion/Inspiration
Contemporary Affairs
Contemporary Thought
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