Two Penguin Group (USA) Authors And Their Books Named 2008 National Book Awards Finalists:

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Two Penguin Group (USA) authors and their books have been selected as finalists for the 2008 National Book Awards: Aleksandar Hemon for The Lazarus Project in the Fiction category; and Jim Sheeler for Final Salute: A Story of Unfinished Lives in the Nonfiction Category. The announcement was made today at the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago.

Aleksandar Hemon’s The Lazarus Project, which follows the stories of two young Eastern European immigrants in Chicago separated by a century, whose lives have both been marked by political violence and dislocation, was published by Riverhead books this past May to critical acclaim. Born in Sarajevo, Hemon came to the United State s in 1992. He is the previous recipient of both the MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Grant, and the Guggenheim Fellowship. In addition, his book Nowhere Man was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.

In Final Salute, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jim Sheeler takes an unprecedented look at the way our country honors its dead. Both a stunning tribute to the brave troops who have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan and to the families who continue to mourn them, Final Salute poignantly weaves together the stories of the fallen and the broken homes they have left behind. It is also the story of Major Steve Beck and his unflagging efforts to help heal the wounds of those left grieving. Sheeler delivers a moving tribute to our troops, putting faces to the mostly anonymous names of our courageous heroes, and to the brave families who have made the ultimate sacrifice for this country. Final Salute is the achingly beautiful, devastatingly honest story of the true toll of war.

The winners of this year’s National Book Awards will be announced at the 59th National Book Awards Benefit Dinner and Ceremony in New York City on Wednesday, November 19th. Each winner receives $10,000 plus a bronze statue; each Finalist receives a bronze medal and a $1,000 cash award.

For more information on the Awards and the finalists, visit www.nationalbook.org

Aleksander Hemon, Jim Sheeler, The Lazarus Project, Final Salute, Penguin books, publishing, literary awards, book awards, National Book Awards