By Keerthi Ramesh
This year’s finalists for the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) Awards showcases a literary landscape with a diverse range of voices a cultural background, increasingly shaped by Asian American and South Asian voices, signaling how diasporic perspectives have moved from the margins to the spotlight of U.S. literary recognition.
The NBCC announced its 2025 finalists on Tuesday, honoring books published in the United States across categories in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, criticism and autobiography. While the list spans over genres and styles, it is notable for the strong presence of authors whose work engages with Asian, Asian American and Indian experiences, both within the U.S. and globally.
Among the most prominent nominees is Indian writer and activist Arundhati Roy, a finalist in the autobiography category for her book “Mother Mary Comes to Me.” Though Roy is based in India, her influence on American readerships has long been significant, particularly among Indian American scholars and readers who see her work as a bridge between South Asian political history and global literary discourse. The memoir blends personal reflection with broader cultural memory, continuing Roy’s reputation for challenging power structures through intimate storytelling.
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Vietnamese American novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen earned a nomination in the criticism category for “To Save and to Destroy.” Nguyen, already a Pulitzer Prize winner, has become one of the most influential Asian American intellectuals writing today, particularly for his examinations of war, displacement and cultural memory. His nomination emphasizes how Asian American criticism has gained stature alongside fiction and poetry in shaping U.S. literary thought.
In fiction, international Asian literature translated for American audiences also plays a significant role. South Korean author Han Kang, a Nobel Prize laureate, is a finalist for “We Do Not Part,” translated into English by e. yaewon and Paige Aniyah Morris. The novel’s inclusion highlights how Asian narratives, even when rooted outside the U.S., are increasingly embraced by American critics and readers as essential to contemporary literature.
The broader finalists list further reflects diversity in background and subject matter, with works by Angela Flournoy, Karen Russell and Katie Kitamura. Yet the recognition of Asian and South Asian writers carries particular weight in an industry that has historically underrepresented these communities in the entertainment industry.
The NBCC Awards, voted on by professional book critics, are among the most influential literary honors in the United States. They are often seen as a barometer of critical taste rather than commercial success, making the representation of Asian American and Indian voices especially significant.
READ: Arundhati Roy on 2017 Man Booker Prize longlist with The Ministry of Utmost Happiness (July 27, 2017)
For Indian American readers and writers, Roy’s nomination signals sustained interest in South Asian perspectives within U.S. literary institutions and for the Asian American communities, the recognition of figures like Nguyen reflects decades of advocacy and creative work finally receiving consistent critical acknowledgment.
As the winners are set to be announced on March 26, this year’s NBCC finalists collectively suggest a shift in American literary culture, one increasingly shaped by diasporic histories, multilingual storytelling and voices that cross national borders.