Over 500 books were nominated by readers to be considered for the One Book, One San Diego 2017 final selection. The One Book Advisory Committee reviewed each nominated title, based on the selection criteria. The criteria are:
- the story (fiction or nonfiction) is of high literary quality, has a clear & compelling narrative, and well-developed characters
- the theme(s) resonate with local and/or global communities, and people of all backgrounds
- the book inspires discussion, conversations, and action
- the book is available in paperback and hardcover
- the book's author is alive
- the book has professional reviews, must be currently in print, and readily available in large quantities (not print-on-demand) and,
- the book is suitable for high school study and up.
After reviewing each nominated book, the One Book, One San Diego judges narrowed down the list to nine finalists. They are:
The Coyote’s Bicycle, by Kimball Taylor
Barbarian Days, by William Finnegan
Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi
The Sandcastle Girls, by Chris Bohjalian
When the Moon is Low, by Nadia Hashimi
Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic, by Sam Quinones
The Mothers, by Britt Benett
The Queen of Katwe, by Tim Crothers
News of the World, by Paulette Jiles
The 2017 winning book will be announced on Saturday, August 26, 2017 at the inaugural San Diego Festival of Books at Liberty Station.
Past winners chosen by One Book One San Diego include:
Waiting for Snow in Havana, by Carlos Eire
The Shadow of the wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Monstress, by Lysley Tenorio
Caleb's Crossing, by Geraldine Brooks
Additional information here:
http://www.kpbs.org/one-book/
http://sandiegoliteraryscene.blogspot.com/2017/02/san-diego-gets-new-book-festival.html