THE FUSE

Since 2006, the Center for Fiction has been highlighting the best debut novels of the year through its First Novel Prize. This year’s 180 eligible titles were published in the US between January 1st and December 31st, and were narrowed down to 19 books by more than 500 writers, librarians, booksellers, and others. The shortlist will be announced in the fall, and in early December, the winning author will receive $15,000, while each shortlisted author will receive $1,000.