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American Library Association · award year

Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence 2023

The 2023 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence went to The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka (Fiction) and An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong (Nonfiction). 6 books were finalists and 43 books made the longlist across 2 categories.

Winners

Fiction

  1. The Swimmers by Julie Otsukasource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yongsource (opens in a new tab)

Finalists

Fiction

  1. Greenland by David Santos Donaldsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Taltysource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. Constructing a Nervous System by Margo Jeffersonsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage by Rachel E. Grosssource (opens in a new tab)

Longlist

Fiction

  1. Calling for a Blanket Dance by Oscar Hokeahsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolversource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Four Treasures of the Sky by Jenny Tinghui Zhangsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsusource (opens in a new tab)
  5. If I Survive You by Jonathan Escofferysource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Joan is Okay by Weike Wangsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfieldsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandelsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Seeking Fortune Elsewhere by Sindya Bhanoosource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm by Laura Warrellsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. The Book of Goose by Yiyun Lisource (opens in a new tab)
  12. The Candy House by Jennifer Egansource (opens in a new tab)
  13. The Kingdom of Sand by Andrew Holleransource (opens in a new tab)
  14. The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrellsource (opens in a new tab)
  15. The Passenger by Cormac McCarthysource (opens in a new tab)
  16. The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chansource (opens in a new tab)
  17. Trust by Hernan Diazsource (opens in a new tab)
  18. What We Fed to the Manticore by Talia Lakshmi Kollurisource (opens in a new tab)
  19. Young Mungo by Douglas Stuartsource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. Also a Poet: Frank O'Hara, My Father, and Me by Ada Calhounsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. By Hands Now Known: Jim Crow's Legal Executioners by Margaret A. Burnhamsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Ducks: Two Years on the Oil Sands by Kate Beatonsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Every Good Boy Does Fine: A Love Story, in Music Lessons by Jeremy Denksource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Indigenous Continent: The Epic Contest for North America by Pekka Hämäläinensource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Lost & Found by Kathryn Schulzsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Paradise Falls: The True Story of an Environmental Catastrophe by Keith O'Briensource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy and the Battle for Truth by Elizabeth Williamsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Solito by Javier Zamorasource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Stay True by Hua Hsusource (opens in a new tab)
  11. The Impossible City: A Hong Kong Memoir by Karen Cheungsource (opens in a new tab)
  12. The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness by Meghan O'Rourkesource (opens in a new tab)
  13. The Man Who Could Move Clouds by Ingrid Rojas Contrerassource (opens in a new tab)
  14. The Third Person by Emma Grovesource (opens in a new tab)
  15. The Treeline: The Last Forest and the Future of Life on Earth by Ben Rawlencesource (opens in a new tab)
  16. The Viral Underclass: The Human Toll When Inequality and Disease Collide by Steven Thrashersource (opens in a new tab)
  17. This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You by Susan Rogers and Ogi Ogassource (opens in a new tab)
  18. Vortex: A True Story of History's Deadliest Storm, an Unspeakable War, and Liberation by Scott Carney and Jason Mikliansource (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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