American Library Association unveils shortlist for 2026 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction

CHICAGO – Today, the American Library Association (ALA) announced the six books shortlisted for the esteemed Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction, awarded for the previous year’s best fiction and nonfiction books written for adult readers and published in the United States. The two medal winners will be announced on Tuesday, January 27^th.

2026 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction shortlist titles include:

Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction 2026 Shortlist

“A Guardian and a Thief,” by Megha Majumdar. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

Desperation permeates Majumdar’s wrenching novel set in a near-future Kolkata besieged by worsening climate crises. Privileged Ma, widowed Dadu, and two-year-old Mishti are spending one last week in their native city before they escape to Michigan when Ma’s purse, filled with priceless documents, is stolen. Majumdar brilliantly blurs right and wrong, ethics and legality. In such frenzied times, who is the guardian and who is the thief can never be clear.

“The Unworthy,” by Agustina Bazterrica. Translated by Sarah Moses. Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, LLC.

Bazterrica’s absorbing feminist literary horror novel stars an unnamed narrator seeking refuge in a twisted hierarchical commune in an unnamed city as she documents her deplorable situation in an illicit diary. Bazterrica is in her element dramatizing the violent and atrocious acts that the residents of the community are subjected to and, in turn, inflict on each other. Satirical, incisive and convincing horror that skewers religious fervor and blind obedience.

“We Do Not Part,” By Han Kang. Translated by e. yaewon and Paige Aniyah Morris. Hogarth, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

Writer Kyungha is plagued by nightmares after publishing a book “about the massacre in G—.” The nightmares’ intensifying vividity inspires her to contact a close friend, a photographer and documentary filmmaker, about the possibility of collaborating on a film adaptation of these indelible images. Han brilliantly examines the breadth of human relationships, from unconditional mother-child bonds to timeless friendship to heinous inhumanity.

Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction 2026 Shortlist

“Baldwin, Styron, and Me,” by Mélikah Abdelmoumen. Translated by Catherine Khordoc. Biblioasis.

Abdelmoumen explores the literary friendship between James Baldwin and William Styron, “the grandson of a slave and the grandson of a slaveowner,” whose relationship led to Styron’s Pulitzer Prize–winning historical novel, The Confessions of Nat Turner. A fascinating meditation on how disparate writers can stimulate each others’ creativity and on the pitfalls of cross-cultural art.

“There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America,” by Brian Goldstone. Crown, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

The common assumption that unhoused Americans are unemployed (and unemployable) is challenged in journalist Goldstone’s heartbreaking book. Doing a deep dive into the history and circumstances of several family units in the Atlanta area who have been plagued by homelessness, despite having jobs, Goldstone reveals the harsh and complex obstacles of daily life for people living on the edges of society.

“Things in Nature Merely Grow,” by Yiyun Li. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Only Li can explain what happened. “There is no good way to state these facts . . . My husband and I had two children and lost them both: Vincent in 2017, at sixteen, James in 2024, at nineteen. Both chose suicide.” In this “book for James,” Li faces the shocking reality of her second son’s death by suicide with “radical acceptance” and heartrending honesty.

Carnegie Medal winners will each receive $5,000. A celebratory event will take place at the 2026 ALA Annual Conference in June 2026 in Chicago.

The awards, established in 2012, serve as a guide to help adults select quality reading material. They are the first single-book awards for adult books given by the American Library Association and reflect the expert judgment and insight of library professionals and booksellers who work closely with adult readers.

The awards were established through a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York and are cosponsored and administered by Booklist and RUSA. Booklist also sponsors the Michael L. Printz Award, Odyssey Award, and Alex Awards. RUSA’s CODES administers the Notable Books List, The Reading List, The Listen List, and the Sophie Brody Medal.

More information on the finalists and the awards can be found at http://www.ala.org/carnegieadult. Also, book cover artwork is available for download at https://www.ala.org/carnegie-medals/resources.

About Carnegie Corporation of New York
Carnegie Corporation of New York was established in 1911 by Andrew Carnegie to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding. In keeping with this mandate, the Corporation's work focuses on the issues that Andrew Carnegie considered of paramount importance: international peace, the advancement of education and knowledge, and the strength of our democracy.

About Booklist
Booklist is a book-review magazine that has been published by the American Library Association for more than 100 years, and is widely viewed as offering the most reliable reviews to help libraries decide what to buy and to help library patrons and students decide what to read, view or listen to. It comprises two print magazines, a digital magazine for library patrons, an extensive website and database, e-newsletters, webinars, and other resources that support librarians in collection development and readers' advisory.

About Reference and User Services Association (RUSA)
The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) is a member community engaged in advancing the practices of connecting people to resources, information services and collections, building relationships among members from all types of libraries, encouraging openness, innovation and idea sharing, and promoting excellence in library services and resources.

About the American Library Association

The American Library Association is the largest non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to America’s libraries. The ALA mission is to empower and advocate for all libraries and library workers to ensure equitable access to information for all. For nearly 150 years, ALA has provided resources for information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more information, visit www.ala.org.