Each year the National Book Foundation asks previous National Book Award winners to choose one young writer whose debut work “promises to leave a lasting impression on the literary landscape.”

All five 2020 recipients are women.

The 5 Under 35 Honorees for 2020:

• K-Ming Chang, Bestiary, selected by Justin Torres
• Naima Coster, Halsey Street, selected by Tayari Jones
• Raven Leilani, Luster, selected by Susan Choi
• Fatima Farheen Mirza, A Place for Us, selected by Tommy Orange
• C Pam Zhang, How Much of These Hills Is Gold, selected by Marlon James

The honorees are recognized at a ceremony and presented with a $1,000 prize.

Previous honorees include Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Brit Bennett, Angela Flournoy, Phil Klay, Valeria Luiselli, C.E. Morgan, Téa Obreht, ZZ Packer, Karen Russell, Justin Torres, Bryan Washington, Claire Vaye Watkins, and Tiphanie Yanique.