Rabih Alameddine Wins 2025 National Book Award for Fiction

NEW YORK, NY – Rabih Alameddine won the National Book Award for Fiction on November 19, 2025, for his novel The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother). The ceremony took place in Manhattan, celebrating outstanding literary achievements from the past year.

Alameddine expressed heartfelt gratitude during his acceptance speech, thanking his agent, editor, and early readers. He humorously acknowledged his psychiatrist and “drug dealers,” stating, “I guarantee you that I wouldn’t have been able to write a single word in the last 10 years without their help.” His novel follows a philosophy teacher navigating life with his elderly, sharp-tongued mother.

In addition to Alameddine’s victory, other notable winners included Omar El Akkad for non-fiction with One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, which critiques Western involvement in the Gaza conflict. El Akkad commented on the complexity of celebrating an award based on a topic so heavy, stating, “It’s very difficult to think in celebratory terms about a book that was written in response to a genocide.”

Patricia Smith won the poetry award for her collection The Intentions of Thunder: New and Selected Poems. Meanwhile, Gabriela Cabezón Cámara received the prize for translated literature for her work We Are Green and Trembling, translated by Robin Myers.

The night also featured entertainment from Corinne Bailey Rae and a humorous monologue by comedian Jeff Hiller, who welcomed attendees with witty literary references. Roxane Gay received the Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community, highlighting the importance of supporting diverse voices in literature.

The National Book Awards, established in 1936, recognize the best books published in the United States across five categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature. The awards aim to honor authors while ensuring their impact resonates nationwide.

As the evening concluded, participants reflected on the power of storytelling, literature, and its role in challenging societal issues. Alameddine’s win, along with the other honored authors, promises a year filled with engaging reading selections for audiences everywhere.