‘Hamnet’ by Maggie O’Farrell wins the National Book Award
‘Hamnet’ tells a story at a time of pandemic, similar to what the world currently lives, and explores the impact of the boy’s disease and death in the family of English playwright. The child was William Shakespeare’s only son of William (1564-1616).
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Book ‘Island On Fire: The Revolt That Ended Slavery In The British Empire’, from Tom Zoellner, won in the non-fiction category, and ‘Stranger in the Shogun’s City: AMY Stanley Japanese woman and Her World’ won in the biography category.
The in autobiography was for North American writer Cathy Park Hong, 44, by ‘Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning’.
The other winners announced during the virtual ceremony held on Thursday night were Francine J. Harris with ‘Here is the Sweet Hand’ in Poetry, and Nicole Fleetwood with ‘Marking Time: Art in The Age of Mass Encercercation’ Critical category. Raven Leilani received the John Leonard award for Best first book by his novel ‘Chandelier’.
Career awards were delivered to the writer of the magazine ‘New Republic’, Jo Livingstone, by ‘Excellency in Revision’, and the Feminist Press publisher, for his long history in the defense of women’s equality, publishing authors ranging from Grace Paley to Anita Hill and Pussy Riot.
The premiums are attributed by the circle of book critics, founded in 1974 and which has hundreds of members throughout the country.
This year’s awards are the first since the exit of several members of the Circle Council last summer after a debate is the response of the organization to the murder of George Floyd and the protests ‘Black Live Matters’.
