Rachel Kushner among finalists for book critics prizes

Zadie Smith, Rachel Kushner and Terrance Hayes are among the nominees for National Book Critics Circle awards.

Kushner is a fiction finalist for her novel “The Mars Room” and Hayes a poetry finalist for “American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin.” Smith, best known for such novels as “White Teeth,” is in the criticism category for the essay collection “Feel Free.” Hayes also is a criticism finalist for “To Float in the Space Between.”

Honorary prizes were announced Tuesday for NPR critic Maureen Corrigan and Latino publisher Arte Publico. Tommy Orange’s acclaimed novel “There There” was named best debut book.

Winners in the six competitive categories will be announced March 14.