The Cut Announces '5 Under 35' All Women National Book Foundation Honorees

New York Magazine's newly revamped 'The Cut' shares the names of the National Book Foundation's '5 under 35', an annual prize recognizing five young debut fiction writers whose work "promises to leave an indelible mark on the literary landscape".  For the second time in the award's 12-year history, the five nominees are women, with three being women of color. 

“At a moment in which we are having the necessary conversations surrounding the underrepresentation of female voices, it’s a thrill to see this list of tremendous women chosen organically by our selectors,” said Lisa Lucas, executive director of the National Book Foundation. “These writers and their work represent an incredibly bright future for the world of literary fiction.” Here are the honorees, each selected by a former honoree:

Honoree: Lesley Nneka Arimah, 'What It Means When A Man Falls From the Sky', selected by Chris Bachelder, 2016 National Book Award finalist.

Honoree: Halle Butler, 'Jillian', selected by Lydia Millet, 2016 National Book Award Longlist for Fiction.

Honoree: Zinzi Clemmons, 'What We Lose', selected by Angela Flournoy, 2015 National Book Award finalist for Fiction.

Honoree: Leopoldina Cire, 'When watched', selected by Karan Mahajan, 2016 National Book Award finalist for Fiction.

Honoree: Weike Wang, 'Chemistry', selected by Sherman Alexie, 2007 National Book Award winner for Young People's Literature.

Read descriptions of all the honored writers' books on The Cut.