National Book Foundation Names This Year's "5 Under 35"

by Staff
9.25.07

The National Book Foundation announced yesterday the names of five young fiction writers who will receive "5 Under 35" awards. Chosen by past finalists and winners of the National Book Award (NBA), the authors are "among the best of a new generation of writers" whose work is "particularly promising and exciting."

They are Kirstin Allio for her novel Garner (Coffee House Press, 2005), selected by 2006 NBA fiction finalist Dana Spiotta; Dinaw Mengestu for his novel The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears (Riverhead Books, 2007), selected by 2006 NBA fiction finalist Jess Walter; Asali Solomon for her story collection Get Down (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006), selected by 2001 NBA fiction finalist Jennifer Egan; Anya Ulinich for Petropolis (Viking Press, 2007), selected by 2006 NBA fiction finalist Ken Kalfus; and Charles Yu for his story collection Third Class Superhero (Harcourt, 2006), selected by 2006 NBA fiction winner Richard Powers.

The winners will be honored at the “5 Under 35” celebration in New York City on November 12.