English Professor’s Debut Novel Lands on Longlist for National Book Award
The debut novel by Trinity College Associate Professor of English Ethan Rutherford, North Sun: Or, the Voyage of the Whaleship Esther, has been named by the National Book Foundation as a contender for the 2025 National Book Award for Fiction.
The top 10 books on the longlist in the categories of young people’s literature, translated literature, poetry, nonfiction, and fiction were announced September 12 in The New Yorker. Rutherford’s book is one of two debut novels among the 10 titles on the longlist for fiction.
Publishers submitted a total of 434 books for the 2025 National Book Award for Fiction. The finalists in all five categories will be revealed on October 7 with The New York Times. Winners will be announced live at the 76th National Book Awards Ceremony & Benefit Dinner on November 19.
As Rutherford said in an interview this summer, “North Sun is set at the end of the 19th century, during the final days of the American whaling industry—when the seas had been hunted nearly empty and whales were approaching extinction. The story begins as a traditional sea voyage, a classic whaling expedition. … But then, midway through, things start to shift.”
The National Book Foundation said in its summary, “In North Sun: Or, the Voyage of the Whaleship Esther, the crew of the Esther sets out in 1878 with two purported goals: to embark on a whaling journey in the waning days of the industry, and to find a ship and its captain before they’re lost to the sea. This seafaring saga follows a ragtag crew led by Arnold Lovejoy. As the true purpose of their journey comes to light, the cast of characters must scrutinize their own environmental destruction, contend with the unnecessary deaths of humans and animals alike, and consider the lives they’ve left behind on solid land.”
Before his debut novel, Rutherford had previously written award-winning short stories. “Writing a novel feels much more like a leap of faith,” Rutherford said. “You just have to start walking—one foot in front of the other—without knowing exactly where it’s going, but with a sense of general direction. Then, what you essentially end up doing is letting language lead the way. So, you put the characters together, let them start talking to each other, and see what happens.”
Professor of English Sarah Bilston, chair of Trinity’s English Department, said that it is wonderful to see Rutherford getting this recognition. “As his students know, he’s an amazing writer and a transformative teacher. His new book is a fable for our times—a rich, strange, aching book that explores the human urge to push, to seek, to exploit while giving lyrical voice to the sea. Anyone who loves a good story, who worries about resource extraction, or who loves the ocean will want to read this book.”
Sonia Cardenas, dean of the faculty and vice president for academic affairs, added, “This is yet another national recognition of the academic powerhouse that is Trinity’s faculty, including our faculty in creative writing and English. Our students are fortunate to have professors like Ethan as teachers and mentors, who excel at their craft and model the creative process at its very best.”
Rutherford’s book has received positive reviews since its release last spring. Publishers Weekly said, “Chronicling in brisk and poetic prose their numerous travails, needless deaths, and hidden perversions, Rutherford plumbs the depths men will sink to in extracting what they desire from nature and their fellow man. This harsh and stark ballad of a bygone time will move readers.”
North Sun was given a starred review by Kirkus Reviews and also was named to the 2025 First Novel Prize Longlist by The Center for Fiction.
Rutherford’s fiction has appeared in BOMB, Tin House, Electric Literature, Ploughshares, One Story, American Short Fiction, Conjunctions, and The Best American Short Stories.
Learn more about Rutherford and North Sun.
