Pulitzer Prize 2025: Winners and Finalists in Focus
The 2025 Pulitzer Prize honors outstanding voices in fiction, nonfiction, poetry and drama—voices that bring depth, urgency and vision to the stories of our time. This article presents a snapshot of this year’s Pulitzer Prize-winning and Finalist books—and the brilliant minds behind them.
The following Pulitzer Prize-winning Books are celebrated for their profound storytelling, bold themes and literary excellence across genres:
1. James by Percival Everettl
James reimagines the classic Huck Finn story through Jim’s eyes, challenging traditional narratives around race and agency, driven by Everett’s clever and timely storytelling. The novel challenges traditional history and highlights a character usually ignored in stories.
View More Details2. Combee: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom during the Civil War by Edda L. Fields-Black
Through meticulous research, Combee revisits Civil War history to emphasise Tubman’s role as a military leader and liberator, told with clear and compelling prose. It reveals fresh insights into her tactical influence and lasting contribution to Black liberation.
View More Details3. Native Nations by Kathleen DuVal
In Native Nations, DuVal highlights Native voices to reveal a powerful story of resistance, diplomacy and survival in early America. The book offers a fresh perspective by emphasising Native experiences and their lasting perseverance.
View More Details4. Every Living Thing by Jason Roberts
In Every Living Thing, Roberts reflects on the powerful relationships between humans and animals, delving into kindness, bonds and the experiences that influence how we see life.
View More Details5. Feeding Ghosts by Tessa Hulls
In this graphic memoir, Hulls explores the complex legacy of immigration and trauma across three generations of Chinese women in her graphic memoir. It vividly depicts their challenges, strength and lasting family connections.
View More Details6. New and Selected Poems by Marie Howe
Howe’s New and Selected Poems showcases the evolution of a poet who writes with honesty and tenderness. It’s a spiritual and emotional map through the landscape of life. Her poems invite readers to reflect deeply on love, loss and the search for meaning.
View More Details7. To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause by Benjamin Nathans
Through an in-depth exploration of opposition in Soviet Russia, Nathans reveals the courageous acts of those who challenged authoritarian power. The book highlights the risks they took and the enduring spirit of defiance amid oppression.
View More DetailsHere are the 2025 Pulitzer Finalists—bold voices and fresh stories across fiction, nonfiction, biography and poetry:
1. Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel
Bullwinkel’s Headshot takes place in an all-girls boxing arena, combining brutal sport with lyrical storytelling to portray deep emotion and the tenacity of youth. It highlights fierce competition and explores friendship and identity.
View More Details2. Mice 1961 by Stacey Levine
Levine’s eerie novella Mice explores control, passivity and human vulnerability in a surreal domestic setting, rendered in prose that is minimalistic but psychologically powerful. The novella reveals hidden fears and struggles, making everyday life feel unsettling./p> View More Details
3. Plantation Goods by Seth Rockman
In Plantation Goods, Rockman reveals the deep connections between slavery and America’s emerging market economy, highlighting how forced labor shaped early economic growth.
View More Details4. John Lewis: A Lie by David Greenberg
Greenberg’s book scrutinises the political and personal narratives that have shaped public perceptions of John Lewis. The book challenges prevailing narratives and offers a nuanced perspective.
View More Details5. The World She Edited by Amy Reading
Reading’s book celebrates the vital yet under-recognised role of female editors in the literary landscape. Their contributions continue to influence the literary world, highlighting the power behind the scenes that shapes what readers ultimately experience.
View More Details6. I Heard Her Call My Name by Lucy Sante
In I Heard Her Call My Name, Sante presents a poetic and brave memoir that delves into gender transition, personal identity, and the deep struggles of understanding and embracing oneself, while also contemplating themes of memory, grief and strength.
View More Details7. Fi: A Memoir of My Son by Alexandra Fuller
In Fi, Fuller shares a raw and honest memoir about the joys and struggles of raising her son with a disability. This book is a stirring exploration of sorrow, survival and the relentless force of a mother’s love. It’s a touching, honest narrative of resilience.
View More Details8. An Authentic Life: by Jennifer Chang
In An Authentic Life, Chang uncovers meaning in both the mundane and the magical. Her poems traverse personal memory and ancestral echoes. This collection is a blend of subtle introspection and sharp clarity.
View More Details9. Bluff: Poems by Daniz Smith
In Bluff, Smith explores Black and queer identity in America, reflecting on love and grief in an unjust world. This book is a fierce, honest blend of pain and hope that both challenges and honours life’s complexities.
View More Details10. Until I Find You by Rachel Nolan
Nolan’s memoir delves into the dark realities of childhood trauma and its echoes into adulthood. It is a powerful account of enduring trauma and finding hope against all odds.
View More Details11. The Unicorn Woman by Gayl Jones
In The Unicorn Woman, Jones blends folklore and reality, capturing the emotional depths of Black women’s lives. The novel follows a mysterious Black woman—possibly a unicorn—on a journey through shifting identities and lands, exploring exile, transformation and the power of stories.
View More Details12. The Ally by Itamar Moses
In The Ally, Moses presents a compelling play that unpacks the complex issues of identity, privilege and allyship. It challenges audiences to question where genuine support ends and appropriation begins.
View More Details13. I Am on the Hit List by Rollo Romig
In I Am on the Hit List, Romig offers his personal insights into Lankesh’s murder and activism, highlighting the dangers faced by those who oppose authoritarianism. The book serves as both an investigative narrative and a tribute to courage.
View More DetailsEach of these works opens a window to bold and unforgettable perspectives. Let these books guide your literary journey—and the way you see the world. Long after the last page is turned, their voices continue to echo—opening space for conversation and contemplation
