Pakistan, Oct. 10 -- Novels by Karen and Bryan Washington are among the contenders for the fiction prize at the 2025 National Book Awards, while nonfiction works addressing topics such as Gaza, foster care and women's issues in Russia are also in the running.

The national Book Foundation announced the five finalists for the fiction category on Tuesday, with four of them having previously received recognition from the organization.

A finalist in 2014, Rabih Alameddine is nominated this year for his novel The True True Story of Raja the Gullible". Fellow finalist Karen Russell, for "The Antidote" and Bryan Washington, for the upcoming "Palaver", have both been featured on the foundation's annual list of promising novelists under 35. Megan...