The National Book Development Board (NBDB) and the Manila Critics Circle (MCC) are proud to announce the finalists of the 42nd National Book Awards (NBA).

An annual prize that honors the most outstanding book titles written, designed, and published in the Philippines, the National Book Awards celebrates the enterprising creative labor involved in book publishing. The 42nd National Book Awards coincides with the two-year preparation of the Philippines as it makes history as the second Southeast Asian country to be chosen as Guest of Honour in 2025 at the world’s biggest book fair, the Frankfurter Buchmesse.

For this cycle of the National Book Awards, a total of 326 titles were submitted across 31 categories consisting of four languages: English, Filipino, Bikol, and Ilokano. Following the awarding of winners during the 41st cycle last February 2024, the 42nd iteration of the awards is set to be held in November 2024.

Below is the full list of finalists for the 42nd National Book Awards.

LITERARY DIVISION

NOVEL (ENGLISH)

NOVEL (FILIPINO)

SHORT FICTION (ENGLISH)

SHORT FICTION (FILIPINO)

NONFICTION PROSE (ENGLISH)

NONFICTION PROSE (FILIPINO)

ANTHOLOGY (ENGLISH)

ANTHOLOGY (FILIPINO)

LITERARY CRITICISM/CULTURAL STUDIES

MEDIA STUDIES

POETRY (ENGLISH)

POETRY (FILIPINO)

GRAPHIC NOVELS AND COMICS (ENGLISH)

GRAPHIC NOVELS AND COMICS (FILIPINO)

TRANSLATED BOOK (ENGLISH)

TRANSLATED BOOK (FILIPINO)

TRANSLATED BOOK (ILOCANO)

DRAMA AND FILM

SHORT FICTION IN BIKOL

POETRY IN BIKOL

NON-LITERARY DIVISION

ART

SOCIAL SCIENCES

PHILOSOPHY

HISTORY

HUMOR, SPORTS, LIFESTYLE, AND BUSINESS

FOOD

SCIENCE

SPIRITUAL AND THEOLOGY

PROFESSIONS

JOURNALISM

DESIGN

DESIGN