Fiction Category
Percival Everett: James
Percival Everett's novel James reimagines Mark Twain's classic The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, this time from the perspective of the oppressed Jim. The work deeply addresses the absurdity of racism and the desire for freedom, while offering a new perspective on family and the search for identity.
Drama Category
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins: Purpose
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' play Purpose tells the story of an upper-middle-class African American family whose patriarch was a key figure in the civil rights movement. The work sensitively explores issues of legacy and identity across generations, blending dramatic and comedic elements.
History Category
Edda L. Fields-Black: Combee and Kathleen DuVal: Native Nations
Edda L. Fields-Black's Combee recounts the story of Harriet Tubman and the Combahee River raid, during which 756 slaves were freed in a single day. The book details the military strategy and family stories that accompanied the journey from slavery to freedom.
Kathleen DuVal's Native Nations uncovers the thousand-year history of North American indigenous nations, highlighting their resilience, ingenuity, and achievements amid conflicts and dispossessions.
Biography Category
Jason Roberts: Every Living Thing
Jason Roberts' Every Living Thing presents the lives and work of Carl Linnaeus and Georges-Louis de Buffon, 18th-century naturalists. The work discusses in detail how they attempted to systematize the natural world and their impact on the development of science.
Memoir Category
Tessa Hulls: Feeding Ghosts
Tessa Hulls' graphic memoir Feeding Ghosts tells the story of three generations of Chinese women – the author, her mother, and grandmother – while exploring the inheritance of family traumas and stories. The work is visually and narratively stunning.
General Nonfiction Category
Benjamin Nathans: To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause
Benjamin Nathans' book explores the history of the Soviet dissident movement, showing how people fought for freedom and human rights under an oppressive regime. The work is based on extensive research and offers deep insight into the diverse world of Soviet resistance.
These 2025 Pulitzer Prize-winning works cover various topics and historical periods, but they share a profound examination of human experiences and literary excellence. Whichever you choose, you can be sure of a reading experience that will greatly contribute to your personal growth and your literary and general knowledge.
