The National Book Awards will no longer be restricted to authors who are U.S. citizens.
The National Book Foundation made the announcement in a news release, saying that the annual literary prizes will now be open to “authors who maintain their primary, long-term home in the United States, US territories, or Tribal lands.” The prizes, with the exception of the award for translated literature, were previously only open to American citizens, although noncitizens who were seeking, or could not seek, U.S. citizenship could petition to have their books considered.
“The Foundation is eager to take this key step towards ensuring that the National Book Awards are welcoming to all writers living and working in the United States,” Ruth Dickey, the foundation’s executive director said in a statement. “As we reflect on the rich 75-year history of the National Book Awards and look to the future, we believe that the National Book Awards must celebrate the widest possible array of voices and stories published in the United States in order to continue bringing essential works to readers and communities across the country.”
The move comes five months after the Pulitzer Prizes announced that they would now be open to non-U.S. citizens who are permanent residents or who have lived in the States for an extended period. That change came after a Los Angeles Times op-ed by poet and memoirist Javier Zamora in which he argued for the expansion.
David Steinberger, chair of the board of the National Book Foundation, said in a statement, “We believe in the value of all stories, and it is our hope that by further opening our existing submissions process, the National Book Awards will be more reflective of the US literary landscape and better able to recognize the immense literary contributions of authors that consider the United States their home.”
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
