US Book Critics Honor Nobel Laureate and South Korean Novelist Han Kang

Karen Hao's examination of AI and OpenAI also recognized at annual awards ceremony

Mar. 27, 2026 at 1:41am

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The National Book Critics Circle honored a novel by Nobel laureate Han Kang and Karen Hao's examination of artificial intelligence and OpenAI at its annual awards on Thursday. Han's novel 'We Do Not Part,' which addresses a 1948-1949 uprising on Jeju island, was praised as a 'work of blinding melancholy.' Other winners included Arundhati Roy for autobiography, Alex Green for biography, and Kevin Young for poetry.

Why it matters

The National Book Critics Circle awards are a prestigious recognition of the best books published in the United States each year, shining a spotlight on important works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and more. The inclusion of a Nobel laureate like Han Kang, as well as recognition of timely topics like the rise of AI, underscores the awards' role in celebrating literary excellence and cultural relevance.

The details

Han Kang's novel 'We Do Not Part,' translated by e.yaewon and Paige Aniyah Morris, addresses a 1948-1949 uprising on Jeju, an island south of the Korean mainland, in which thousands of people were killed. Karen Hao's 'Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI' won for nonfiction, while other category winners included Arundhati Roy for autobiography, Alex Green for biography, and Kevin Young for poetry.

  • The National Book Critics Circle awards ceremony took place on Thursday, March 27, 2026.

The players

Han Kang

A Nobel laureate and South Korean novelist whose novel 'We Do Not Part' was honored at the awards.

Karen Hao

The author of 'Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI,' which won the nonfiction category.

Arundhati Roy

The author of the winning autobiography 'Mother Mary Comes to Me.'

Alex Green

The author of the winning biography 'A Perfect Turmoil: Walter E. Fernald and the Struggle to Care for America's Disabled.'

Kevin Young

The poet whose work 'Night Watch' won the poetry category.

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What they’re saying

“We salute PBS and NPR for all you have done for both book culture and American democracy.”

— Jacob M. Appel, Chair of the selection process for the achievement award

“Han's 'We Do Not Part' is a work of blinding melancholy, bleak weather, and murmuring syntax and lingers like an atmospheric and arresting dream.”

— Heather Scott Partington, Chair of the awards' fiction committee

The takeaway

The National Book Critics Circle awards continue to recognize and celebrate literary excellence across genres, from Nobel laureates like Han Kang to timely examinations of emerging technologies like AI. The inclusion of diverse voices and perspectives underscores the awards' role in shaping the national literary landscape.