Every March, the Tournament of Books is a month-long battle royale among the year’s best novels.

James, 2025

As I understand it, it was truly March Madness and it appears that I have won the blindfolded free-throw shooting contest. I am intrigued by the rooster offer, but I have lived with roosters and they are no good at conversation and equally bad at chess. So, I will decline the fowl offer and merely say, thank you for this honor. It really means a lot. Thanks for reading my work. Cheers.

Blackouts, 2024

I so love the spirit of this competition, and am grateful to the readers and reviewers for their care and consideration. To my mind, this tournament represents the best of literary culture—thoughtful, generous, and slightly ridiculous. And while “I can’t accept your prize cock, I have nowhere to put it” is not a sentence I ever expected to compose… I gladly accept the sentiment behind the cock; it fills my heart.

The Book of Goose, 2023

What honkingly delightful news that The Book of Goose has won the only March Madness that matters to bookish spectators. Thank you for this honor.

Klara and the Sun, 2022

I’m absolutely delighted to have finished on top of the heap at the end of this entertaining, comically framed, but deeply serious tournament. It’s a true privilege to have one’s work considered and debated by one’s peers. I’ll pass on the rooster in physical form—but there’ll be a metaphorical one crowing proudly in my heart for years to come.

Interior Chinatown, 2021

This is so cool. I’ve long been a fan of the Tournament of Books (I even served as a judge once). With previous books I’d thought about how exciting it would be just to get shortlisted—so this is bonkers. I am grateful to the ToB organizers for creating and continuing a unique event that gets people discussing books with intelligence and passion, to the judges and guests and Commentariat for supplying that intelligence and passion, and to all the authors for writing the great books they wrote. I always learn a lot from the judgments and the comments, and this year was no exception. Thank you again—it’s an honor to have been part of a ToB.

My Sister, the Serial Killer, 2020

I did not realize that what I was missing in my life was a live rooster. But there is so much about the Tournament that has proven to be surprising and fun. I am honoured to have been shortlisted, moved by the comments and feedback, and astounded by the win. It feels like something out of a movie. Thank you for the experience.

Fever Dream, 2018

Thank you for this incredible award, dear Jury. The news that multiple novelists, publishers, and journalists have chosen Fever Dream as the winner of this year’s Tournament, and that the prize is really a live rooster, is the most perfect prize I could have hoped for. My next book is Mouthful of Birds and perhaps I should change the title to Mouthful of Roosters. I’m very honored to have been considered in the company of these other books and great writers. I’m jumping for joy.

The Underground Railroad, 2017

This is very neat—thanks, judges, for being so kind. I will cherish this literal rooster-turned-metaphorical rooster for years to come. It was an honor to see my book in the company of such awesome work by these wonderful talents—and shout-out to Yaa Gyasi, who wrote an incredible novel and is a really cool person, to boot!

The Sellout, 2016

Although I can’t accept the rooster because I am incapable of caring for other living creatures, I still have some annoying questions. Is there a rooster-in-waiting? What happens to him if I don’t pick him? Why a rooster? Because winning the Tournament of Books is like winning a cockfight? There’s lots of cockfighting in The Day of the Locust. Anyway, I can’t tell you how honored I am to have won the Tournament of Books. Any competition that awards a rooster to the winner, knows what the fuck it’s doing.

Station Eleven, 2015

I’m delighted. I’ve read and loved a great many of the other books on this year’s shortlist, and it’s been an honor to find myself in such fine company. I’ve been a fan of the Tournament of Books for years, and I like it even more now that they’ve offered me a live rooster.

The Good Lord Bird, 2014

It is an honor and a privilege to be among so many fantastic writers and readers. I actually think I know a guy who could use that rooster.

The Orphan Master’s Son, 2013

I’ll admit I’m a ToB addict, so it’s a special honor to be included in the bracket and to survive some fascinating matchups. And to get bumped, only to Zombie back? My highest achievement.

I will now demand that my publisher place silver Rooster stickers on all the paperbacks. But first: Deliver unto me one live rooster! It will live in our backyard in San Francisco, until my sleep-deprived neighbors murder it. And if readers will make suggestions for what we should call it, I promise to select a name from one of the comments.

Finally, a special thanks to all the readers, reviewers, and authors who contributed to a pretty dang awesome celebration of books.

The Sisters Brothers, 2012

I was moving house with a heavy heart and a headache from the going-away party when I got word that The Sisters Brothers had taken the prize, which made me feel quite a lot better. Thank you very much for this. I appreciate the work that went into the Tournament, and the dialogue surrounding it. I bow to the judges and the authors, too. Please don’t send me a rooster in the mail. But really, and again, thank you.

A Visit From the Goon Squad, 2011

A rooster will fit perfectly into our Brooklyn landscape…our sons will be thrilled; our two cats, even more so.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, 2008

I’m beyond humbled. This book took forever and broke my heart nonstop—it’s deeply gratifying that it has moved anybody at all. It’s a little strange to imagine poor Oscar fighting anyone in a tournament so you made the impossible happen. Thanks to everybody who supported any and all of these books and thanks to the Tournament for doing something so hilariously odd in support of literature. So do I get a T-shirt with that supercool rooster on it? He’s bad-ass.

The Accidental, 2006

I am cock-a-hoop! I have NEVER won a prize of which I've been more delighted and proud. If you tell me how to go about it, I will donate another $100 worth of chickens in my euphoria. Thank you and The Morning News for this great, great honour.