How Politics, Protests and the Pandemic Shaped a Year in Books
From “American Dirt” to “Apropos of Nothing” to “A Promised Land,” here is what happened in the literary and publishing world’s unforgettable 2020.
What a year, clockwise from top left: Barack Obama’s memoir went on sale; Robert Jones Jr. saw the cover of his debut novel during a BookExpo video session; Jesmyn Ward spoke out as part of the #PublishingPaidMe conversation; “How to Be an Antiracist” racked up sales; independent booksellers urged customers to shop with them; and “American Dirt” drew both attention and criticism.Credit...Clockwise from top left: Jamie Mccarthy/Getty Images; Emma Howells for The New York Times; Amr Alfiky/The New York Times; Sandy Huffaker for The New York Times