What To Read

The National Book Foundation announced its annual “5 Under 35” honorees this past Tuesday. The honored authors, selected by previous National Book Award winners and finalists, include writers from around the world who have published their first book, and who hold promise for being the next generation of literary luminaries. They will be honored at a ceremony in New York on May 25, and each will receive a $1,000 prize. Many acclaimed authors today have been recognized by this honor since it started 17 years ago, including Raven Leilani for Luster, Akwaeke Emezi for Freshwater, and Charles Yu for Third Class Superhero.

These are the five honorees’ debut works.

Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour

Selected by Robert Jones, Jr., 2021 National Book Award Finalist

This satirical novel follows a former high school valedictorian transition from his job as a Starbucks manager to a plum sales job at a tech start-up, where he is the only Black person in the company. The book, which ends with a surprise twist, explores racism, ambition and the nuances of what it really means to go after the American dream.

➳ Buy Black Buck on Tertulia

A Calm & Normal Heart by Chelsea T. Hicks

Selected by Louise Erdrich, 2012 National Book Award Winner, 1999 and 2001 Finalist

This collection of short stories, written by a member of the Osage Nation, explores love, trauma, ancestral bonds and the meaning of belonging for Native people in the United States.

➳ Buy A Calm & Normal Heart on Tertulia

Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty

Selected by Karen Russell, 2009 5 Under 35 Honoree

Set in a Native community in Maine, this collection of 12 interlinked stories explores what it means to be Penobscot in the 21st century while navigating trauma and addiction, economic insecurity, mental illness, and tragedy. The book was also named the best debut book in any genre by the National Book Critics Circle and won the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for best debut short story collection.

➳ Buy Night of the Living Rez on Tertulia

Holding Pattern by Jenny Xie

Selected by Kirstin Valdez Quade, 2014 5 Under 35 Honoree

This novel follows the aftermath of a young woman’s devastating breakup and decision to drop out of grad school — including her decision to start a job at a tech startup specializing in cuddle therapy, providing clients with nonsexual touching.

➳ Buy Holding Pattern on Tertulia

The Sorrows of Others by Ada Zhang

Selected by Jamil Jan Kochai, 2022 National Book Award Finalist

This collection of stories follows the generations after the Cultural Revolution in both China and America. The book explores what it is like to be an outsider — as immigrants, as revolutionaries, or even within a family.

➳ Buy The Sorrows of Others on Tertulia