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National Book Awards 2015

The 2015 National Book Awards went to Fortune Smiles: Stories by Adam Johnson (Fiction), Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (Nonfiction) and Voyage of the Sable Venus by Robin Coste Lewis (Poetry), with winners in 1 more category. 20 books were finalists and 40 books made the longlist across 4 categories.

Winners

Fiction

  1. Fortune Smiles: Stories by Adam Johnsonsource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coatessource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. Voyage of the Sable Venus by Robin Coste Lewissource (opens in a new tab)

Young People's Literature

  1. Challenger Deep by Neal Shustermansource (opens in a new tab)

Finalists

Fiction

  1. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagiharasource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Fates and Furies by Lauren Groffsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Refund: Stories by Karen E. Bendersource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Turner House by Angela Flournoysource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. Hold Still by Sally Mannsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. If the Oceans Were Ink: An Unlikely Friendship and a Journey to the Heart of the Quran by Carla Powersource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Ordinary Light by Tracy K. Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomerysource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. Bright Dead Things by Ada Limónsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude by Ross Gaysource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Elegy for a Broken Machine by Patrick Phillipssource (opens in a new tab)
  4. How to Be Drawn by Terrance Hayessource (opens in a new tab)

Young People's Literature

  1. Bone Gap by Laura Rubysource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War by Steve Sheinkinsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Nimona by ND Stevensonsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjaminsource (opens in a new tab)

Longlist

Fiction

  1. A Cure for Suicide by Jesse Ballsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Cleggsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Honeydew by Edith Pearlmansource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Mislaid by Nell Zinksource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Welcome to Braggsville by T. Geronimo Johnsonsource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. Love and Other Ways of Dying: Essays by Michael Paternitisource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Mourning Lincoln by Martha Hodessource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Paradise of the Pacific: Approaching Hawaii by Susanna Mooresource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Rain by Cynthia Barnettsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Travels in Vermeer: A Memoir by Michael Whitesource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. A Stranger's Mirror by Marilyn Hackersource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Heaven by Rowan Ricardo Phillipssource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Mistaking Each Other for Ghosts by Lawrence Raabsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Scattered at Sea by Amy Gerstlersource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Beauty by Jane Hirshfieldsource (opens in a new tab)

Young People's Literature

  1. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertallisource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad by M. T. Andersonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. This Side of Wild: Mutts, Mares, and Laughing Dinosaurs by Gary Paulsensource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. X: A Novel by Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoonsource (opens in a new tab)

About the National Book Awards

From nationalbook.org year pages. Each book appears once, at its highest tier, as the Foundation lists it: longlisted books that became finalists or winners are listed only at that tier. Longlists began in 2013; Translated Literature began in 2018. Translated Literature entries name the original author as author and the translator(s) as translator.

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

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