Episode 59—The NBA Goes Worldwide

This week, we examine the fascinating decision by the National Book Awards to introduce a category for translated literature. What does this mean for our concept of a “national” award, and how might this category be used to extend literary “citizenship” to books and writing that readers in this country may have previously considered “un-American”? We discuss how adding the category changes the award in a fundamental way (for the better), and what it could mean for cultivating the canon moving forward.