The finalists for the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award have been revealed, with 10 books in the running for the prize that “honors a work of fiction … that speaks with an ‘American Voice’ about American experiences.”
Hernan Diaz made the shortlist for Trust, his high finance-themed novel that previously won the Kirkus Prize and the Pulitzer Prize. Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead, which won the Pulitzer alongside Diaz’s novel, was also named a finalist.
Tess Gunty’s The Rabbit Hutch, the winner of the National Book Award, was shortlisted for the Twain award, as was Ling Ma’s National Book Critics Circle Award-winning story collection Bliss Montage.
Gabrielle Zevin was named a finalist for her bestselling Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, as were Morgan Talty for Night of the Living Rez and Elizabeth McCracken for The Hero of This Book.
Also making the shortlist were Jennifer Haigh for Mercy Street, Jacinda Townsend for Mother Country, and Andrew Holleran for The Kingdom of Sand.
The award, given by the Mark Twain House & Museum, was established in 2016, and comes with a $25,000 cash prize underwritten by thriller author David Baldacci. Previous winners have included Jesmyn Ward for Sing, Unburied, Sing; Ocean Vuong for On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous; and Stephen Graham Jones for The Only Good Indians.
The winner of this year’s prize will be announced in October.
Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.
