Barnes & Noble Announces Their 2025 Discover Prize Winner10/20/2025

Maggie; Or, A Man and A Woman Walk Into a Bar by Katie Yee is the Bookseller's Pick for the Best New Author Published This Year

New York, NY - October 9, 2025 - Barnes & Noble is thrilled to announce Katie Yee as their 2025 Discover Prize Winner for her novel Maggie; Or, A Man And A Woman Walk Into A Bar. The bookseller made the announcement during a live event hosted this evening at the Barnes & Noble bookstore on Manhattan's Upper West Side.

"Finding talented new authors and elevating their work - introducing them to so many readers who might otherwise miss them - is one of the most gratifying parts of being a bookseller," said Shannon DeVito, Director of Books, Barnes & Noble. "This year's shortlist sparked vigorous debates with readers each championing their favorite. Ultimately a clear victor emerged, and we are delighted to call Katie Yee the winner of our 2025 Discover Prize."

This long-standing program is outstandingly successful in identifying new talent in the literary landscape and has been instrumental in launching the careers of many acclaimed writers. The winner is also awarded a $10,000 cash prize.

Funny and full of heart, Katie Yee's Maggie; Or A Man And A Woman Walk Into A Bar is centered on a woman determined to find humor in her heartbreak.

"This is one of the most surprising debuts I read this year. Yee takes what could be tragic: a marriage ending, a cancer diagnosis, and turns it into something warm, funny, and deeply life-affirming. This is the book I keep pressing into people's hands when they ask me what to read next," says Fiction Campaign Manager Lexie Smith.

Brick-and-mortar bookstores remain uniquely positioned to introduce and champion new writers. Here is just some of the praise Barnes & Noble booksellers have bestowed upon the winner:

"Multiple times while reading this book I would find myself chuckling at the dry humor but then be shocked by such a powerful line. This book is the embodiment of the phrase "if you don't laugh, you'll cry." Katie Yee your way of tugging on my heartstrings with your writing is what hooked me. I can't wait to read more from her." - Anna, F., Orlando, FL

"If you are like me, and love beautiful writing, I cannot think of a better book to read this fall than this one." - Tara S., Nashville, TN

"I loved this debut! The writing felt so effortless and the story unfolded so well. The characters were so perfectly whole that I felt like they were people I knew in real life. I laughed and cried and really enjoyed this one." - Elizabeth B., New York, NY

Competition for this year's Discover Prize was fierce and B&N booksellers across the country have also fallen for the following five finalists, representing some of the best and freshest writing today.

• Kaplan's Plot by Jason Diamond
• Great Black Hope by Rob Franklin
• Tilt by Emma Pattee
• The Artist and the Feast by Lucy Steeds
• Lonely Crowds by Stephanie Wambagu
  
  

Customers can find Katie Yee's Maggie; Or A Man And A Woman Walk Into A Bar along with the other Discover Award Finalists at their local Barnes & Noble and on bn.com. They can also rave about their favorites on social media using the hashtag #bndiscoverprize.

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