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Kirkus Prize 2025

The 2025 Kirkus Prize went to The Slip by Lucas Schaefer (Fiction), King of Kings by Scott Anderson (Nonfiction) and Everybelly by Thao Lam (Young Readers' Literature). 18 books were finalists across 3 categories.

Winners

Fiction

  1. The Slip by Lucas Schaefersource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. King of Kings by Scott Andersonsource (opens in a new tab)

Young Readers' Literature

  1. Everybelly by Thao Lamsource (opens in a new tab)

Finalists

Fiction

  1. A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdarsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Flesh by David Szalaysource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Isola by Allegra Goodmansource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desaisource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Wilderness by Angela Flournoysource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. A Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhirstsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. America, América by Greg Grandinsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Baldwin by Nicholas Boggssource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Black in Blues by Imani Perrysource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roysource (opens in a new tab)

Young Readers' Literature

  1. Butterfly Heart by Moa Backe Åstot, translated by Agnes Broomésource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Death in the Jungle by Candace Flemingsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Island Storm by Brian Floca and Sydney Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. John the Skeleton by Triinu Laan and Marja-Liisa Plats, translated by Adam Cullensource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Incredibly Human Henson Blayze by Derrick Barnessource (opens in a new tab)

About the Kirkus Prize

The Kirkus Prize began in 2014. Each year has six finalists in Fiction, Nonfiction, and Young Readers' Literature, one of which wins; source is kirkusreviews.com/prize/<year>/. Young Readers' Literature author is writer plus illustrator; translators are separate. Titles are main titles, title-cased from Kirkus's all-caps listing.

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

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