National Book Award 1972: Complete list of winners

The 1972 National Book Award recognized some of American literature’s most distinctive voices, with an especially strong showing in poetry that year. The National Book Award, one of the country’s most prestigious literary honors, split its poetry prize between two remarkable collections: Frank O’Hara’s The Collected Poems of Frank O’Hara, a posthumous recognition of the New York School poet’s groundbreaking work, and Howard Moss’s Selected Poems, which showcased the refined craftsmanship of one of America’s most accomplished contemporary poets. This dual honor reflected the award’s commitment to acknowledging different poetic sensibilities—from O’Hara’s innovative, conversational style to Moss’s more formally intricate verse.

Beyond the poetry categories, the 1972 National Book Award winners demonstrated the breadth of literary merit being celebrated that year. Donald Barthelme’s The Slightly Irregular Fire Engine or The Hithering Thithering Djinn took the Young People’s Literature prize, bringing Barthelme’s experimental sensibility to younger readers and proving that serious literary innovation had a place in children’s literature. The recognition of these three winners underscored the National Book Award’s role in honoring not just established reputations but also the expanding boundaries of American writing across all age groups and stylistic approaches.

Here are the complete 1972 National Book Award winners:

Poetry

• The Collected Poems of Frank O’Hara(posth.) by Frank O’Hara
• Selected Poems by Howard Moss

Young People’s Literature

• The Slightly Irregular Fire Engine or The Hithering Thithering Djinn by Donald Barthelme