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American Library Association · award year

Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence 2015

The 2015 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence went to All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (Fiction) and Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson (Nonfiction). 6 books were finalists and 43 books made the longlist across 2 categories.

Winners

Fiction

  1. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerrsource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevensonsource (opens in a new tab)

Finalists

Fiction

  1. Nora Webster by Colm Tóibínsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. On Such a Full Sea by Chang-rae Leesource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbertsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Thirteen Days in September: Carter, Begin, and Sadat at Camp David by Lawrence Wrightsource (opens in a new tab)

Longlist

Fiction

  1. A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon Jamessource (opens in a new tab)
  2. All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toewssource (opens in a new tab)
  3. In Paradise by Peter Matthiessensource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Lila by Marilynne Robinsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932 by Francine Prosesource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Orfeo by Richard Powerssource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Something Rich and Strange: Selected Stories by Ron Rashsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Song of the Shank by Jeffery Renard Allensource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandelsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher by Hilary Mantelsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. The Bone Clocks by David Mitchellsource (opens in a new tab)
  12. The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquezsource (opens in a new tab)
  13. The Children Act by Ian McEwansource (opens in a new tab)
  14. The Confessions of Frances Godwin by Robert Hellengasource (opens in a new tab)
  15. The Crane Wife by Patrick Nesssource (opens in a new tab)
  16. The Enchanted by Rene Denfeldsource (opens in a new tab)
  17. The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagansource (opens in a new tab)
  18. Thirty Girls by Susan Minotsource (opens in a new tab)
  19. Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay by Elena Ferrantesource (opens in a new tab)
  20. Tigerman by Nick Harkawaysource (opens in a new tab)
  21. Us by David Nichollssource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. Blood Royal: A True Tale of Crime and Detection in Medieval Paris by Eric Jagersource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Dark Invasion: 1915; Germany's Secret War and the Hunt for the First Terrorist Cell in America by Howard Blumsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Factory Man: How One Furniture Maker Battled Offshoring, Stayed Local—and Helped Save an American Town by Beth Macysource (opens in a new tab)
  4. In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeanette by Hampton Sidessource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story by Rick Braggsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. John Quincy Adams: American Visionary by Fred Kaplansource (opens in a new tab)
  7. No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State by Glenn Greenwaldsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Pandora's DNA: Tracing the Breast Cancer Genes through History, Science, and One Family Tree by Lizzie Starksource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Spare Parts: Four Undocumented Teenagers, One Ugly Robot, and the Battle for the American Dream by Joshua Davissource (opens in a new tab)
  10. The Birth of the Pill: How Four Crusaders Reinvented Sex and Launched a Revolution by Jonathan Eigsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. The Human Age: The World Shaped by Us by Diane Ackermansource (opens in a new tab)
  12. The Innovators: How a Group of Inventors, Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution by Walter Isaacsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  13. The Most Dangerous Book: The Battle for James Joyce's Ulysses by Kevin Birminghamsource (opens in a new tab)
  14. The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Leporesource (opens in a new tab)
  15. The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League by Jeff Hobbssource (opens in a new tab)
  16. The Story of the Jews: Finding the Words, 1000 BC–1492 AD by Simon Schamasource (opens in a new tab)

About the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence

Winners, finalists (the shortlist) and longlists from ALA's per-year Carnegie Medals pages. The medals began in 2012. Winners also appear on their year's shortlist; each book is stored once per year at its highest level. No nonfiction medal was awarded in 2018 after Sherman Alexie declined it, so that year has three nonfiction finalists and no winner.

Organization: American Library Association. Years are award years, which can differ from publication years. Official site (opens in a new tab)

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