National Book Award 1940s: A decade of winners

The 1940s National Book Award emerged during one of America’s most turbulent decades, when the nation was consumed by global conflict and the literary world grappled with how to document both the personal and the historical. Established to honor the year’s most distinguished works of American fiction and nonfiction, the award quickly became a bellwether for what the reading public—and the literary establishment—valued most. These were years when biography and memoir flourished, offering readers intimate portraits of lives lived with consequence, and when nonfiction writers stepped forward to chronicle the era with urgency and insight. The National Book Award itself was still finding its footing during this period, but it proved remarkably attuned to the moment, recognizing works that grappled with isolation, resilience, and memory.

Perry Burgess’s Who Walk Alone and the winning biography As I Remember Him (a portrait of R.S., capturing a life of scientific and personal significance) exemplified the decade’s hunger for intimate, unflinching nonfiction. These were not distant historical accounts but rather close studies of individuals navigating the complexities of their times. The award’s early years revealed a preference for works that balanced literary grace with substantive exploration—a standard that would come to define the National Book Award’s reputation across subsequent decades.

What emerges from surveying this formative decade is a picture of an award still crystallizing its identity, yet already committed to recognizing American letters at their most serious and affecting. Below, explore the complete roster of 1940s National Book Award winners and the rich literary landscape they represent.

1940

Nonfiction

• Who Walk Alone by Perry Burgess
• Winner by As I Remember Him: The Biography of R.S.