Barnes & Noble has revealed the finalists for its Discover Prize, which “celebrates the very best new authors, elevating the joy of spotting fresh voices early on in their careers.”
Jason Diamond was named a finalist for his debut novel, Kaplan’s Plot. He is the author of two previous nonfiction books, Searching for John Hughes and The Sprawl: Reconsidering the Weird American Suburbs.
Rob Franklin made the shortlist for Great Black Hope; the writer was named a debut author to watch by Kirkus earlier this year. Emma Pattee was named a finalist for Tilt, alongside Lucy Steeds for The Artist and the Feast, which was longlisted for this year’s Women’s Prize for Fiction.
Stephanie Wambugu was shortlisted for Lonely Crowds, as was Katie Yee for Maggie; or, A Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar.
“Elevating debut voices is, hands down, one of the best parts of being a bookseller,” Lexie Smyth, the bookseller’s campaign manager for fiction, said in a statement. “The Discover Prize shortlist was selected by a panel of booksellers from around the country—after many lively and impassioned conversations—and we believe these six writers are well on the way to becoming household names.”
The Discover Prize was first awarded in 1995. Previous winners include Monica Ali for Brick Lane, Anthony Marra for A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, and Essie Chambers for Swift River.
The winner of this year’s award will be announced at an event in New York on October 9.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
