Colson Whitehead is finalist for Kirkus fiction prize

Colson Whitehead is up for another literary honour, the Kirkus Prize for fiction.
Whitehead's acclaimed "The Underground Railroad," a novel set during the Civil War, is among six nominees announced Tuesday for the $50,000 award. Whitehead's book is also on the longlist for the National Book Awards and last month was chosen by Oprah Winfrey for her book club.
Another novel on the National Book Awards longlist, Adam Haslett's "Imagine Me Gone," is a Kirkus finalist. The other fiction choices are Joe McGinniss Jr's "Carousel Court," CE Morgan's "The Sport of Kings," E Annie Proulx's "Barkskins" and Amor Towles' "A Gentleman in Moscow."

Kirkus, the book industry trade publication, also announced six finalists each for USD 50,000 prizes in nonfiction and children's literature.
Like the National Book Awards, many of the Kirkus picks have themes of race and social justice.
Winners will be announced November 3.

Nonfiction nominees include Susan Faludi's memoir about her father, "In the Darkroom," and JD Vance's best-seller about growing up in a rural white community, "Hillbilly Elegy."
The other nonfiction picks are Sarah Bakewell's "At the Existentialist Cafe," Matthew Desmond's "Evicted," Michael Eric Dyson's "The Black Presidency" and Beth Macy's "Truevine."
"Thunder Boy Jr," a picture book by Sherman Alexie and illustrator Yuyi Morales, is a nominee for children's books.

The other finalists are Ashley Bryan's "Freedom Over Me," Russell Freedman's "We Will Not Be Silent," Jason Reynolds' "As Brave As You," Traci Chee's "The Reader" and Meg Medina's "Burn Baby Burn.