NEW YORK (AP) — Novels by Megha Majumdar and Karen Russell as well as a memoir by Yiyun Li are among the finalists Wednesday night for the 76th annual National Book Awards .

Hundreds of writers, publishers, editors and other industry professionals are expected to gather at Cipriani Wall Street in Manhattan for a dinner ceremony that will include honorary awards for fiction writer George Saunders and author-publisher Roxane Gay . Emmy-winning actor-comedian Jeff Hiller will host, and Grammy winner Corinne Bailey Rae is the musical guest.

Competitive awards will be announced for five categories — fiction, nonfiction, translated literature, young people's literature and poetry. Winners will each receive $10,000.

Nominees range from Majumdar's futuristic narrative “A Guardian and

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