NBCC shortlists
Last updated: March 31, 2026
The Best of Memoir: the 2020 NBCC Autobiography Shortlist, recommended by Mark Athitakis
From a brave account by the Stanford rape case survivor Chanel Miller to New Yorker reporter Ronan Farrow’s gripping tale of investigating the Harvey Weinstein scandal, it’s been a golden year for autobiography. Veteran critic Mark Athitakis talks us through the memoirs that made this year’s National Book Critics Circle autobiography shortlist.
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1
Flash: The Making of Weegee the Famous
by Christopher Bonanos -
2
Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret
by Craig Brown -
3
Inseparable: The Original Siamese Twins and Their Rendezvous with American History
by Yunte Huang -
4
The Man in the Glass House: Philip Johnson, Architect of the Modern Century
by Mark Lamster -
5
The Big Fella: Babe Ruth and the World He Created
by Jane Leavy
The Best Biographies: the 2019 NBCC Shortlist, recommended by Elizabeth Taylor
The Best Biographies: the 2019 NBCC Shortlist, recommended by Elizabeth Taylor
Biography is booming, says the longtime book critic and biographer Elizabeth Taylor. Here she highlights the five fantastic books shortlisted for the National Book Critics Circle 2019 biography award, and how historical lives provide insight into contemporary culture.
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1
Educated: A Memoir
by Tara Westover -
2
The Day That Went Missing: A Family's Story
by Richard Beard -
3
All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir
by Nicole Chung -
4
What Drowns the Flowers in Your Mouth: A Memoir of Brotherhood
by Rigoberto González -
5
Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home
by Nora Krug -
6
Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over
by Nell Painter
The Best Memoirs: The 2019 National Book Critics Circle Awards Shortlist, recommended by Laurie Hertzel
The Best Memoirs: The 2019 National Book Critics Circle Awards Shortlist, recommended by Laurie Hertzel
An increasing diversity of voices and willingness to experiment has heralded a new golden age of autobiography, says literary critic Laurie Hertzel. Here she highlights the very best: the six memoirs recently shortlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Awards.
