Akbar's book, "Martyr!" The Times says the story becomes "an indelible affirmation of life, rife with inventive beauty, vivid characters and surprising twists of plot." The Times isn't the only place heaping praise upon this book. Maureen Corrigan, who reviews books on "Fresh Air," named it as one of her favorites. It also made this list assembled by NPR critics and staff.
Listen to Kaveh Akbar at the National Writers Series in Traverse City.
Sides wrote "The Wide Wide Sea," about Captain James Cook's final voyage in the Pacific. The Times says "Sides expertly probes the causes of Cook’s growing anger and violence as the journey wears on and the explorer reckons with the fallout of what he and others had wrought."
Listen to Hampton Sides at the National Writers Series in Traverse City.
The National Writers Series has hosted more than 275 authors since 2010, bringing them to Traverse City, usually for a live on-stage interview and audience Q&A. Many also work with local students.
"Now that I look back, I see that we've hosted authors that made the New York Times top ten list in the past, even two in a year," said Anne Stanton, executive director and co-founder of the National Writers Series. "I think it's because our Author Committee chooses books that are getting fantastic pre-publication testimonials."
Learn more about the National Writers Series, and listen for frequent broadcasts of their events on IPR News Radio at 1 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Sunday.
