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National Book Critics Circle Awards 2009

The 2009 National Book Critics Circle Awards went to Somewhere Towards the End by Diana Athill (Autobiography), Cheever: A Life by Blake Bailey (Biography) and Notes From No Man's Land: American Essays by Eula Biss (Criticism), with winners in 3 more categories. 30 books were finalists across 6 categories.

Winners

Autobiography

  1. Somewhere Towards the End by Diana Athillsource (opens in a new tab)

Biography

  1. Cheever: A Life by Blake Baileysource (opens in a new tab)

Criticism

  1. Notes From No Man's Land: American Essays by Eula Bisssource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction

  1. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantelsource (opens in a new tab)

General Nonfiction

  1. The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science by Richard Holmessource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. Versed by Rae Armantroutsource (opens in a new tab)

Finalists

Autobiography

  1. City Boy by Edmund Whitesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Enemies of the People: My Family's Journey to America by Kati Martonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Lit by Mary Karrsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Live Through This: A Mother's Memoir of Runaway Daughters and Reclaimed Love by Debra Gwartneysource (opens in a new tab)

Biography

  1. Bitter Spring: A Life of Ignazio Silone by Stanislao G. Pugliesesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Flannery: A Life of Flannery O'Connor by Brad Goochsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Passing Strange: A Gilded Age Tale of Love and Deception Across the Color Line by Martha A. Sandweisssource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Why This World: A Biography of Clarice Lispector by Benjamin Mosersource (opens in a new tab)

Criticism

  1. Close Calls with Nonsense: Reading New Poetry by Stephen Burtsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Dancing in the Dark: A Cultural History of the Great Depression by Morris Dicksteinsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Heroes and Villains: Essays on Music, Movies, Comics, and Culture by David Hajdusource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Perfecting Sound Forever: An Aural History of Recorded Music by Greg Milnersource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction

  1. American Salvage by Bonnie Jo Campbellsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Blame by Michelle Hunevensource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Lark and Termite by Jayne Anne Phillipssource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Book of Night Women by Marlon Jamessource (opens in a new tab)

General Nonfiction

  1. Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford's Forgotten Jungle City by Greg Grandinsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Imperial by William T. Vollmannsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kiddersource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Hindus: An Alternative History by Wendy Donigersource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. A Village Life by Louise Glücksource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Captive Voices: New and Selected Poems, 1960–2008 by Eleanor Ross Taylorsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Chronic by D.A. Powellsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Museum of Accidents by Rachel Zuckersource (opens in a new tab)

About the National Book Critics Circle Awards

Year is the NBCC award year as the Circle labels it: the publication year of the books, with prizes presented the following March (the 2023 awards were presented in March 2024). From bookcritics.org past-awards pages. Category names follow each year's page: General Nonfiction through 2016, Nonfiction from 2017; Autobiography covers the Autobiography/Memoir category. Longlists appear on those pages only from 2024. Reviewing, lifetime, institutional, and service awards are excluded.

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

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