The Gotham Book Prize recently released its 11 finalists this year. This award was introduced during the pandemic to highlight exceptional writing about New York City.
The Gotham Book Prize's founders, Bradley Tusk and Howard Wolfson, were delighted by the diversity of the books on the shortlist. The judges exemplified the difficulty of condensing the entirety of New York City into one book. They congratulated the finalists for their efforts to do this nearly right. The 11 nominees cover a considerable spectrum and comprise different environments, such as cultures, age groups, and neighborhoods.
The 2024 Gotham Book Prize shortlist features Patrick Brinkley's "All the Beauty in the World," an authentic and remarkable portrayal of the collections, grandeur, and daily life at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was penned by a former staffer at the New Yorker magazine who also worked for 10 years as a museum guard.
Prudence Peiffer's "The Slip: The New York City Street That Changed American Art Forever" examines the influence of Coenties Slip, a street in New York City, on American art from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s. The book offers a close-up insight into the lives and works of six artists who lived in the area at that time.
Maria Smilios' "The Black Angels: The Untold Story of the Nurses Who Helped Cure Tuberculosis" focuses on an inspiring true story about a team of brave Black nurses who participated in curing tuberculosis in New York City in the pre-antibiotic era.
Joshunda Sanders' "Women of the Post" is a captivating novel inspired by true events. It chronicles the experiences of heroines who served in the all-Black Battalion of the Women's Army Corps during World War II.
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The finalists also include works of fiction. Aisha Abdel Gawad's "Between Two Moons" takes place during Ramadan in Bay Ridge, following two teenage sisters as they navigate family and neighborhood challenges. Colson Whitehead's "Crook Manifesto" portrays a family caught in the turmoil in 1970s Harlem amidst the conflict between the NYPD and the Black Liberation Army.
Completing the list of finalists are Melissa Rivero's "Flores and Miss Paula," Patricia Park's "Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim," Graham Rayman and Reuven Blau's "Rikers: An Oral History," Alexander Stille's "The Sullivanians: Sex, Psychotherapy, and the Wild Life of an American Commune," and Tyriek White's "We Are a Haunting."
The winning author will receive $50,000. For the first time, the ceremony will be held jointly with the Queens Public Library, which serves one of the world's most diverse communities. The Gotham Book Prize endeavors to applaud and acknowledge the strong, resilient intellects who have stayed steadfast in their quest to narrate the story of New York City, even in difficult times.
James McBride's "Deacon King Kong" was the first winner of the Gotham Book Prize in April 2021, while Andrea Elliott's "Invisible Child" was the second winner in April 2022. The awards in 2023 went to Sidik Fofana for "Stories from the Tenants Downstairs" and John Wood Sweet for "The Sewing Girl's Tale."
The winner will be chosen by a jury composed of prominent New Yorkers and authors. The announcement will take place at the Queens Public Library's annual gala on June 5, 2024.
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