 |
|---|
The original goal of the National Book Awards was to enhance America’s awareness of exceptional books written by fellow Americans. For six decades, the National Book Awards, which are organized by the National Book Foundation, has acclaimed the cream of the literary crop and celebrated its 60th anniversary with a campaign to select the best book from its long list of fiction winners.
The overall winner was The Complete Stories of Flannery O'Connor following a public vote.The other shortlisted books included:
- The Stories of John Cheever
- Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
- The Collected Stories of William Faulkner
- Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon
- The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty
The National Book Awards began in 1950 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City when The Man With the Golden Arm by Nelson Algren was named America’s premier piece of fiction from the previous year. Today, it’s the most important event on the American literary calendar and continues to recognize the best in American writing. Last year’s winner was Shadow Country by Peter Matthiessen and now it sits alongside books like From Here To Eternity, Invisible Man, Herzog, Gravity’s Rainbow, Rabbit is Rich, All The Pretty Horses, Cold Mountain and Tree of Smoke.
AbeBooks.com is an official partner for the Best of the National Book Awards.
(Note: Dates show year of the award.)
1966
The Collected Stories of Katherine Anne Porter
Katherine Anne Porter
Find collectible copies
1972
The Complete Stories of Flannery O'Connor
Flannery O'Connor
Find collectible copies
1974
A Crown of Feathers and Other Stories
Isaac Bashevis Singer
Find collectible copies
Return to the beginning of the article.
Take a look at our other award winners lists:
- 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
- Nebula and Hugo Award Winners
- Top 10 Forgotten Pulitzer Prize-Winning Novels
- 2009 BC Book Prizes
