By Chris Olsen

The National Book Awards are among the most prestigious literary prizes in the U.S. Celebrated by the National Book Foundation every year, awards span five categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translated literature and young people’s literature. This year, of the 25 finalists (five in each category), 16 were women.

Among the women finalists was Indigenous poet and author M.S. RedCherries, whose book, “Mother,” was called “a groundbreaking collection in the ever-evolving and increasingly visible realm of Indigenous literature,” by Southern Review of Books. The publication noted, “In its pages, the poem and essay forms blend and melt, creating a linguistic and sensory experience that bends time, place, memory and space. Simultaneously, [its] speaker reignites the storytelling tradition for an entirely new generation of readers. These poems celebrate family and family lore and collage together the communities who live in profound questioning about what it means to be Indigenous in America.”

Join Publish Her is celebrating the women National Book Award finalists by adding their books to your TBR list. When you purchase these titles from Publish Her’s shop on Bookshop.org, you help fund publishing and program grants for underrepresented authors.

Photo: M.S. RedCherries

About the Author

Chris Olsen is a book designer, publisher, educator and the author of “Whyography: Building a Brand Fueled by Purpose.” The founder of Publish Her and Publish Her Story, Chris has helped thousands of women tell their stories and publish their books.

About Publish Her

Publish Her is a female-founded publisher dedicated to educating authors and elevating the words, writing and stories of women. We are passionate about amplifying the voices of women of color, women with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ+ community. We aim to make publishing an attainable, exciting and collaborative process for all.