Yesterday, the New York Public library’s Young Lions Fiction Award announced their 2012 finalists, and we must say, they’ve come up with quite a list. The award, which celebrates “the works of young authors carving deep impressions in the literary world,” is given annually to a young American author — aged 35 or younger — for an excellent novel or collection of short stories.
The 2012 finalists are Open City by Teju Cole, The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore by Benjamin Hale, Leaving the Atocha Station by Ben Lerner, Swamplandia! by Karen Russell, and Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward, all of which have garnered much acclaim over the past few months.
Fun fact: this year, one of the judges is Adam Levin, who won the prize last year for his behemoth novel, The Instructions . Head here to read free samples of all the finalists’ books, and let us know who you think should take home the 2012 award in the comments.