National Book Award 2013: Complete list of winners

Mary Szybist’s Incarnadine claimed the 2013 National Book Award for Poetry, marking a significant moment for a collection that explores faith, doubt, and the material world with stunning linguistic precision. Szybist’s win reflects the National Book Award’s ongoing commitment to recognizing ambitious, formally inventive work—her poems move fluidly between the sacred and the mundane, interrogating religious imagery and personal belief with both intellectual rigor and genuine emotional depth. The collection’s title itself, referring to a blood-red or flesh-colored hue, hints at the embodied spirituality that threads through her verses.

The 2013 National Book Awards, one of the most prestigious literary honors in the United States, continued its tradition of celebrating the year’s most exceptional writing. These awards have long served as a bellwether for serious literary achievement, and Szybist’s selection demonstrates the judging panel’s appetite for poetry that resists easy categorization—work that engages with philosophical questions while remaining grounded in precise, often startling imagery. Her victory adds another layer to an already remarkable year in American letters.

Below, you’ll find details about this year’s award winner and the full list of finalists across all categories.

Poetry

• Incarnadine by Mary Szybist