Salman Rushdie memoir/ Knife memoir nomination/ National Book Awards nonfiction/ Anne Carson nomination/ Rushdie book awards/ Newslooks/ NEW YORK/ Salman Rushdie’s memoir Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder, detailing his recovery from a 2022 stabbing, is nominated for the National Book Awards. Joining him on the nonfiction list are works covering themes like identity and global issues. Renowned poet Anne Carson also received a nomination for her collection Wrong Norma. Winners will be announced on November 20, 2024.
Salman Rushdie’s ‘Knife’ Among National Book Award Nominees: Quick Looks
- Salman Rushdie’s memoir Knife, about his 2022 stabbing, is nominated for the National Book Awards.
- Poet Anne Carson is also nominated for her collection Wrong Norma.
- Nonfiction nominees include works on global resources, faith, and oppression.
- Poetry nominations feature Pulitzer Prize winner Dianne Seuss and Rowan Ricardo Phillips.
- Winners to be announced at a ceremony in Manhattan on November 20, 2024.
Salman Rushdie’s Memoir ‘Knife’ Earns National Book Award Nomination
Deep Look
Salman Rushdie’s courageous memoir, Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder, has earned a place on the prestigious long list of the 2024 National Book Awards for nonfiction. The book chronicles his reflections and recovery following the 2022 attack where he was brutally stabbed during a public appearance in New York. Rushdie, known for his defiant and resilient nature, delves deep into the physical and emotional aftermath of the incident, offering an unfiltered account of survival. This marks Rushdie’s first National Book Award nomination, despite being a literary icon since his groundbreaking 1981 novel Midnight’s Children.
Rushdie has lived much of his life under the shadow of a 1989 fatwa issued by Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini following the release of his controversial novel The Satanic Verses. Though born in India and originally a British citizen, Rushdie became a U.S. citizen in 2016, making him eligible for the American-based National Book Awards. His nomination for Knife highlights the memoir’s starkly personal nature, as it lays bare the scars, both literal and figurative, left by the 2022 attack.
Alongside Rushdie, Canadian poet Anne Carson, celebrated globally for her thought-provoking and innovative work, was nominated in the poetry category for her latest collection Wrong Norma. Carson’s inclusion in the long list further solidifies her status as one of the most revered poets of her generation. Other notable poetry nominations include Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Dianne Seuss for her latest collection Modern Poetry, Fady Joudah’s (…), and Life on Earth by Dorianne Laux.
The nonfiction list is rich with diverse topics, spanning subjects like space, human smuggling, and social justice. Hanif Abdurraqib’s There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension tackles themes of race, sports, and identity, while Rebecca Boyle’s Our Moon: How Earth’s Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are takes a scientific dive into the influence of the moon on Earth. Jason De León’s Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling sheds light on the often-overlooked human stories behind global migration.
Other notable nonfiction nominations include Eliza Griswold’s Circle of Hope: A Reckoning with Love, Power, and Justice in an American Church, a deep dive into the complexities of faith and community, and Kate Manne’s Unshrinking: How to Face Fatphobia, an exploration of body image and societal expectations. Ernest Scheyder’s The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives offers a timely look at global resource conflicts, while Richard Slotkin’s A Great Disorder: National Myth and the Battle for America examines America’s national identity.
The poetry category also boasts a rich diversity of voices. Dorianne Laux’s Life on Earth provides intimate reflections on mortality, while Gregory Pardlo’s Spectral Evidence continues his exploration of personal and political histories. Rowan Ricardo Phillips is nominated for Silver, a collection steeped in lyrical complexity, and m.s. RedCherries’ mother offers poignant meditations on motherhood and loss. Octavio Quintanilla’s The Book of Wounded Sparrows and Lena Khalaf Tuffaha’s Something About Living bring narratives of resilience and healing to the forefront of contemporary poetry.
The final nominees in each category will be narrowed down to five on October 1, with winners to be honored during a ceremony in Manhattan on November 20, 2024.
