A popular memoir and statement by Omar El Akkad, a Canadian journalist and writer, has been named a finalist for the prestigious National Book Award in the United States. The annual literary prize, worth $10,000 USD (approximately 13,954.49 Canadian dollars), is bestowed by the National Book Foundation to honor exceptional books across various genres including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translated literature, and young people’s literature.
Titled “One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This,” this work represents El Akkad’s first venture into nonfiction. The book delves into his reflections on truth, justice, privilege, and morality, expanding on a poignant statement he made on social media following the Gaza bombardment in the fall of 2023.
El Akkad, a Canadian author and journalist residing in Portland, Oregon, gained recognition for his novel “American War,” which was championed on Canada Reads 2018 by actor Tahmoh Penikett. His book “What Strange Paradise” clinched the 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize and was defended in Canada Reads 2022 by Tareq Hadhad.
The National Book Foundation recently unveiled the finalists across five competitive categories, with each category featuring five nominees. In the fiction category, Megha Majumdar is recognized for her novel “A Guardian and a Thief,” following her acclaimed debut “A Burning.” Other fiction contenders include Rabhi Alameddine’s “The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother),” Karen Russell’s “The Antidote,” Ethan Rutherford’s “North Sun,” and Bryan Washington’s “Palaver.” These authors transport readers to diverse settings such as future India, 1930s Nebraska, and contemporary Tokyo.
In the nonfiction category, Yiyun Li’s “Things in Nature Merely Grow,” a candid exploration of loss after her sons’ suicides, competes alongside Julia Ioffe’s feminist historical account “Motherland,” Claudia Rowe’s “Wards of the State,” and Jordan Thomas’ “When It All Burns.”
The winners of the National Book Award will be unveiled at a gala dinner in downtown Manhattan on November 19. Additionally, fiction writer George Saunders and author-publisher Roxane Gay will receive honorary accolades during the event.
– with information from CBC Books