Pulitzer Prizes 2025: A Guide to the Winning Books and Finalists

Nineteen books were recognized as winners or finalists for the Pulitzer Prize on Monday, in the categories of memoir, poetry, general nonfiction, fiction, biography and history, which had two winners.

Fiction

Winner
James, by Percival Everett

Everett’s reimagining of “Huckleberry Finn” is a subversive homage to Mark Twain’s classic novel, as narrated by the enslaved man who accompanies Huck down the Mississippi. In “James,” Everett endows his title character (known as Jim in Twain’s book) with a rich intellectual life, deep curiosity and world-weariness that comes from trying to stay alive in the South. There are episodes of soul-deadening brutality, absurd satire and even philosophical treatises, but “James” reads with the fleetness of an adventure story. One of the most decorated releases of 2024, it also won the National Book Award for fiction and earned a place on the Book Review’s 10 Best Books of the year list.

Doubleday

Finalist: Headshot, by Rita Bullwinkel

This debut novel zeros in on eight female boxing contestants who converge in Reno, Nev., for a teenage national championship. Bullwinkel follows them well after the events of the tournament, tracing the eventual course of their lives. Our critic Dwight Garner made clear his admiration for the author, writing in his review: “Make room, American fiction, for a meaningful new voice.”

Viking

Finalist: Mice, 1961, by Stacey Levine

The story of two orphaned sisters in Cold-War-era America, Jody and Mice (nicknamed so for her unusual appearance and mannerisms), is told by their housekeeper, as their neighborhood prepares for an all-out bash.

Verse Chorus Press

Finalist: The Unicorn Woman, by Gayl Jones

A World War II veteran falls helplessly in love with a Black woman he spies at a carnival, where she is among the sideshow attractions owing to the regal, spiraled horn sprouting from her forehead. Jones is among the most influential Black authors writing today, whose work helps reframe questions of identity, race and sexuality. Her 2021 novel “Palmares” — her first in 22 years — was also a finalist for the Pulitzer.

Beacon Press

History