Hamline University graduate adjunct professor Erin Entrada Kelly was recently named a 2024 National Book Award Finalist. Her novel, The First State of Being, is one of five books competing for the Young People’s Literature Award.
“I'm still processing the news. To be honest, it's very surreal,” Kelly said. “You never know what's going to happen when you put a new book into the world. Your greatest hope is that it finds readers, but you never imagine it will be recognized with such a tremendous honor.”
Kelly, who teaches in Hamline’s Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults program, was previously awarded the 2018 Newbery Medal for her third novel, Hello, Universe. She also received a 2021 Newbery Honor for We Dream of Space.
According to the publisher, The First State of Being follows 12-year-old Michael Rosario’s life in Red Knot, Delaware as he grapples with the looming Y2K crisis and his overwhelming crush on his 15-year-old babysitter, Gibby. But when a disoriented teenage boy named Ridge appears out of nowhere, Michael discovers there is more to life than stockpiling supplies and pining over Gibby.
The National Book Awards are a set of annual literary awards recognizing the best American writing across five categories. The awards are administered each November by the National Book Foundation. The 75th Annual National Book Awards Ceremony will take place Wednesday, November 20 in New York.
