October 16, 2024, 9:00pm

At a ceremony in New York City this evening, Kirkus Reviews announced the winners of the 2024 Kirkus Prize, given annual in three categories: fiction, nonfiction, and young readers’ literature. “This year’s prize-winning books—each written with elegance and lucidity—illuminate tragedies both personal and historical, helping us to better understand our world and the spirit of human resilience,” said Kirkus Editor-in-chief Tom Beer in a press release.

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The winners were selected from a pool of 1,444 books given stars by Kirkus reviewers; each will receive a prize of $50,000 and a “one-of-a-kind trophy” created by the design team Vezzini & Chen. Now, without any further ado…

The 2024 Kirkus Prize winners:

Percival Everett, James
(Doubleday)

Citation: In Percival Everett’s audacious reimagining of Huckleberry Finn, Jim—the enslaved man who travels the Mississippi River with Huck—is revealed as James, who can write, argue with Voltaire, and speak in elevated English. This enthralling novel can be read on its own, but Everett has made it a necessary companion to Twain’s masterpiece.

Adam Higginbotham, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism And Disaster on the Edge of Space
(Avid Reader Press)

Citation: Meticulously reported, beautifully written, and devastating in its account of an entirely preventable tragedy, Adam Higginbotham’s book reveals the facts of a news story many Americans recall but few understand: the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in January 1986, killing all seven crew members on board. The author lucidly details the technical issues that led to the disaster but, more crucially, he shines a light on the human failings—as well as the bravery—that were on display in this epochal event.

Kenneth M. Cadow, Gather
(Candlewick)

Citation: Humor, grace, and tenderness bring to life this beautifully realized story. Ian, a white teen growing up in rural poverty and struggling with his mother’s opioid addiction, finds support and community in the friends, neighbors, and random caregivers he gathers—all symbolized by the stray dog who gives the novel its title.