The National Book Award for Nonfiction is one of five US annual National Book Awards, which are given by the National Book Foundation to recognize outstanding literary work by US citizens. They are awards "by writers to writers". The panelists are five "writers who are known to be doing great work in their genre or field".
The original National Book Awards recognized the "Most Distinguished" biography and nonfiction books (two) of 1935 and 1936, and the "Favorite" nonfiction books of 1937 to 1940. The "Bookseller Discovery" and the "Most Original Book" sometimes recognized nonfiction. (See below.)
The general "Nonfiction" award was one of three when the National Book Awards were re-established in 1950 for 1949 publications, which the National Book Foundation considers the origin of its current Awards series. From 1964 to 1983, under different administrators, there were multiple nonfiction categories.
The current Nonfiction award recognizes one book written by a U.S. citizen and published in the U.S. from December 1 to November 30. The National Book Foundation accepts nominations from publishers until June 15, requires mailing nominated books to the panelists by August 1, and announces five finalists in October. The winner is announced on the day of the final ceremony in November. The award is $10,000 and a bronze sculpture; other finalists get $1000, a medal, and a citation written by the panel. The sculpture by Louise Nevelson dates from the 1980 awards. The $10,000 and $1000 cash prizes and autumn recognition for current-year publications date from 1984. Beginning 2005, the official annual webpages (see References) provide more information: the panelists in each award category, the publisher of each finalist, some audio-visual interviews with authors, etc. For 1996 to date, annual webpages generally provide transcripts of acceptance speeches by winning authors.
About 200 books were nominated for the 1984 award when the single award for general nonfiction was restored.
Multiple nonfiction categories (1964–1983) For the 1963/1964 cycle, three new award categories replaced "Nonfiction": Arts and Letters; History and Biography; Science, Philosophy and Religion. For the next twenty years there were at least three award categories for nonfiction books marketed to adult readers and the term "Nonfiction" was used only 1980 to 1983 ("General Nonfiction", hardcover and paperback). +Scope of "Nonfiction" as covered in the following tablestimespanof all awardslist of "Nonfiction" categories covered below1964–19663 of 5Arts and Letters; History and Biography; Science, Philosophy and Religion1967–19683 of 61969–19713 of 7Arts and Letters; History and Biography; "The Sciences" or "Philosophy and Religion" alternating1972–19756 of 10Arts and Letters; Biography; Contemporary Affairs; History; Philosophy and Religion; The Sciences19763 of 6Arts and Letters; Contemporary Affairs; History and biography198016 of 30+Autobiography; Biography; Current Interest; General Nonfiction; History; Religion/Inspiration; Science1977–19793 of 7Biography and Autobiography; Contemporary Thought; History1981–19838 of 20+Autobiography/Biography; General Nonfiction; History; Science (each hardcover and paperback)
Recipients
1935–1940 The National Book Awards for 1935 to 1940 annually recognized the "most distinguished" or "favorite" book of General Nonfiction or simply Nonfiction. In 1935 and 1936 there was distinct award to the most distinguished Biography; both winners were autobiographies. Meanwhile, four of the six general nonfiction winners were autobiographical and one more was a biography. Furthermore, all books were eligible for the "Bookseller Discovery" and "Most Original Book" (two awards); nonfiction winners are listed here. In 1937 and 1939 alone, the New York Times reported close seconds and runners up respectively.
There was only one National Book Award for 1941, the Bookseller Discovery, which recognized a novel; then none until their 1950 revival for 1949 books in three categories including general Nonfiction. +National Book Awards presented to nonfiction books, 1935–1940 Year Category Author Title Result 1935NonfictionAnne Morrow LindberghNorth to the OrientWinnerVincent SheeanPersonal HistoryFinalist1936Most Original Book Della T. LutesThe Country KitchenWinnerNonfictionVan Wyck BrooksThe Flowering of New England: 1815–1865Winner1937Most Original Book Carl CrowFour Hundred Million Customers: The Experiences—Some Happy, Some Sad, of an American Living in China, and What They Taught HimWinnerNonfictionÈve CurieMadame CurieWinnerLin YutangThe Importance of LivingThe other three of four runners-up listed in New York Times coverage of the awards for 1937 were works of fiction, and Nonfiction was one of four award categories, so it is likely to call Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living runner up for the Nonfiction award. • That is not certain, for it does not match the NYT order of listing and mis-classification is possible. NYT lists four "close seconds" in order Conrad Richter, Sea of Grass; Kenneth Roberts, Northwest Passage; Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living; [Leo Rosten], The Education of Hyman Kaplan. Meanwhile, the four winners are identified by award category and listed in order Fiction, Nonfiction, Bookseller Discovery, Most Original. Both Sea of Grass and Northwest Passage are historical novels, which does not fit the second-listed category Nonfiction. The Importance of Living is nonfiction and also consistent with the third-listed winner, Bookseller Discovery. Hyman Kaplan is fiction and also consistent with the fourth-listed winner, Most Original.Finalist1938Bookseller DiscoveryDavid FairchildThe World Was My Garden: Travels of a Plant ExplorerWinnerMost Original Book Margaret HalseyWith Malice Toward SomeWinnerNonfictionAnne Morrow LindberghListen! The WindWinner1939NonfictionAntoine de Saint-ExupéryWind, Sand and StarsWinnerPierre van PaassenDays of Our YearsFinalist1940Bookseller DiscoveryPerry BurgessWho Walk AloneWinnerNonfictionHans ZinsserAs I Remember Him: The Biography of R.S.Winner
1950s The first awards in the current series were presented to the best books of 1949 at the annual convention dinner of the booksellers, book publishers, and book manufacturers in New York City, March 16, 1950. There were honorable mentions ("special citations") in the non-fiction category only. +National Book Awards presented to nonfiction books, 1950–1963 Year Author Title Subject Result 1950Ralph L. RuskThe Life of Ralph Waldo EmersonRalph Waldo Emerson, American philosopher, essayist, and poet (1803–1882)WinnerLincoln BarnettThe Universe and Dr. EinsteinFinalistHarry Allen OverstreetThe Mature MindFinalistEleanor RooseveltThis I Remember Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States (1933–1945), diplomat, and activistFinalistLillian SmithKillers of the DreamFinalistKenneth P. WilliamsLincoln Finds a General Finalist1951Newton ArvinHerman MelvilleHerman Melville, American writer and poet (1819–1891)Winner1952Rachel CarsonThe Sea Around UsWinner1953Bernard De Voto, The Course of EmpireWinner1954Bruce CattonA Stillness at AppomattoxWinner1955Joseph Wood KrutchThe Measure of ManWinner1956Herbert KublyAn American in ItalyWinner1957George F. KennanRussia Leaves the WarWinner1958Catherine Drinker BowenThe Lion and the ThroneEdward Coke, English lawyer and judgeWinner1959J. Christopher HeroldMistress to an Age: A Life of Madame de StaëlMadame de Staël, Swiss/French author (1766–1817)Winner
1960s
1960–1963 +National Book Awards presented to nonfiction books, 1960–1963 Year Author Title Subject Result 1960Richard EllmannJames JoyceJames Joyce, Irish novelist and poet (1882–1941)Winner1961William L. ShirerThe Rise and Fall of the Third ReichNazi Germany, Germany under control of the Nazi Party, 1933 to 1945Winner1962Lewis MumfordThe City in History: Its Origins, its Transformations and its ProspectsWinner1963Leon EdelHenry JamesHenry James, American-born British writer and literary criticWinner
1964–1969 From 1964 to 1969, winners were presented by specific categories (e.g., Arts and Letters). However, finalists were presented in one general nonfiction category. Individual categories of finalists have been guessed.
Arts and Letters +National Book Awards presented to nonfiction books, Arts and Letters,1964–1969 Year Author Title Subject Result1964Aileen WardJohn Keats: The Making of a PoetJohn Keats, English Romantic poet (1795–1821)WinnerWalter Jackson BateJohn KeatsJohn Keats, English Romantic poet (1795–1821)FinalistFrancis SteegmullerApollinaire: Poet among the PaintersGuillaume Apollinaire, French poet and writerFinalist1965Eleanor ClarkThe Oysters of LocmariaquerWinnerEric BentleyThe Life of the DramaFinalistRobert BrusteinThe Theater of Revolt: An Approach to Modern DramaFinalistEdward DahlbergBecause I Was FleshEdward Dahlberg, American writerFinalistRalph EllisonShadow and ActFinalistHoward Mumford JonesO Strange New World: American Culture, the Formative YearsFinalist1966Janet FlannerParis Journal, 1944–1965WinnerAlfred KazinStarting Out in the ThirtiesFinalistR. W. B. LewisTrials of the Word: Essays in American Literature and the Humanistic TraditionFinalistPhilip RahvThe Myth and the PowerhouseFinalistLionel TrillingBeyond Culture: Essays on Literature and LearningFinalistRené WellekHistory of Modern Criticism: 1750–1950Finalist1967Justin KaplanMr. Clemens and Mark Twain: A Biography Mark Twain, American author and humorist (1835–1910)WinnerOliver LarkinDaumier: Man of His TimeHonoré Daumier, French artist (1808–1879)FinalistFrederick A. PottleJames Boswell: The Earlier YearsJames Boswell, 18th-century Scottish lawyer, diarist, and authorFinalistIsaac Bashevis SingerIn My Father's CourtIsaac Bashevis Singer, Jewish American author (1903–1991)FinalistSusan SontagAgainst Interpretation and Other EssaysFinalistLawrance ThompsonRobert Frost: The Early YearsRobert Frost, American poet (1874–1963)Finalist1968William TroySelected EssaysWinnerR. P. BlackmurA Primer of IgnoranceFinalistFrank ConroyStop-TimeFrank Conroy, American authorFinalistLeonard B. MeyerMusic, the Arts and IdeasFinalistM. L. RosenthalThe New PoetsFinalistStanley WeintraubBeardsley: A BiographyAubrey Beardsley, English illustrator and author (1872–1898)Finalist1969Norman MailerThe Armies of the Night: History as a Novel, The Novel as HistoryWinnerHannah ArendtMen in Dark TimesFinalistPeter GayWeimar Culture: The Outsider as InsiderFinalistGordon S. HaightGeorge Eliot: A BiographyGeorge Eliot, English novelist, essayist, poet and journalist (1819–1880)FinalistGertrude HimmelfarbVictorian MindsFinalist
History and Biography