National Book Award 2019: Complete list of winners

The 2019 National Book Award celebrated some of the year’s most compelling literary voices, with Arthur Sze’s Sight Lines taking home the prize in poetry. Sze’s collection demonstrates the kind of innovative, intellectually rigorous work that has come to define the National Book Award’s poetry category—a recognition that honors not just beautiful language, but the way contemporary poets are reshaping what poetry can do. Known for weaving together scientific observation, philosophical inquiry, and deeply personal reflection, Sze’s win underscores the award’s commitment to recognizing poets who challenge and expand the boundaries of the form itself.

The 2019 National Book Awards, presented by the National Book Foundation, continue to serve as one of the most prestigious honors in American letters. These awards have a long history of identifying transformative work across multiple genres, and this year’s selections reflect a literary landscape that values both technical mastery and emotional intelligence. For readers and writers alike, the National Book Award winners list has become an essential guide to understanding which books are shaping contemporary American culture.

Below, you’ll find complete details about this year’s honorees and what made their work stand out to the judges.

Poetry

• Sight Lines by Arthur Sze