Tayari Jones' 'Kin' Wins Kirkus Prize for Fiction

Tayari Jones' novel "Kin," which explores the experiences of two Black friends from small-town Louisiana, has won the Kirkus Prize for fiction. The award includes a cash prize of $50,000.

In addition to Jones, Paula Colloff's "Catch the Devil: A True Story of Murder, Deception, and Injustice on the Gulf Coast" received the nonfiction award, while Elizabeth Acevedo's "Anger Is Only a Shadow" won in the young readers' literature category. Each of the three authors will also receive $50,000.

Finalists for this year's awards included Colson Whitehead's "Cool Machine," Douglas Stuart's "John of John," and Patrick Radden Keefe's "London Falling." The Kirkus awards, established in 2014 by the industry publication Kirkus Reviews, have previously honored authors such as Whitehead, Joy Williams, and Ta-Nehisi Coates.