| 100% | NORMANMAILER | 12 | "The Naked and the Dead" novelist awarded the 2005 National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters (2 wds.) |
| 83% | ELMORELEONARD | 13 | "Get Shorty" novelist awarded the 2012 National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters (2 wds.) |
| 80% | EANNIEPROULX | 12 | "The Shipping News" novelist awarded the 2017 National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters (3 wds.) |
| 38% | JESMYNWARD | 10 | Mississippi novelist who is the only woman to win the National Book Award for Fiction twice (2 wds.) |
| 37% | TANEHISICOATES | 14 | African-American author of "Between the World and Me," winner of the 2015 National Book Award for Nonfiction: 2 wds. |
| 37% | THEEMISSARY | 11 | Book that won the 2018 National Book Award for Translated Literature, written by Yoko Tawada and translated by Margaret Mitsutani: 2 wds. |
| 36% | THOMASPYNCHON | 13 | Novelist who received a National Book Award for "Gravity's Rainbow": 2 wds. |
| 36% | WILLIAMSTYRON | 13 | Novelist who won the National Book Award for Fiction for 15-Across (2 wds.) |
| 35% | JAMESMCBRIDE | 12 | 15-Across and 47-Across writer who won the 2013 National Book Award for Fiction for "The Good Lord Bird" (2 wds.) |
| 35% | SUSANCHOI | 9 | 15-Across and 33-Across writer who won the 2019 National Book Award for Fiction for her novel "Trust Exercise" (2 wds.) |
| 35% | TERRYGROSS | 10 | Host and producer of NPR's "Fresh Air" who was honored with the 2003 Edward R. Murrow Award for Outstanding Contributions to Public Radio (2 wds.) |
| 35% | TESSGUNTY | 9 | Author who won the 2022 National Book Award for Fiction for "The Rabbit Hutch": 2 wds. |
| 34% | JAMESPATTERSON | 14 | Bestselling crime novelist who was honored with the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation (2 wds.) |
| 34% | RALPHELLISON | 12 | African-American author of "Invisible Man," winner of the 1953 National Book Award for Fiction: 2 wds. |
| 34% | LAURENGROFF | 11 | "Fates and Furies" author whose "Florida" was nominated for the 2018 National Book Award for Fiction (2 wds.) |
| 34% | THEFRIEND | 9 | Book that won the 2018 National Book Award for Fiction, written by Sigrid Nunez: 2 wds. |
| 34% | JAMESMCBRIDE | 12 | African-American author of "The Good Lord Bird," winner of the 2013 National Book Award for Fiction: 2 wds. |
| 34% | CHARLESYU | 9 | Author who won the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction for "Interior Chinatown": 2 wds. |
| 34% | SUSANCHOI | 9 | Author who won the 2019 National Book Award for Fiction for "Trust Exercise": 2 wds. |
| 33% | JASONMOTT | 9 | Author who won the 2021 National Book Award for Fiction for "Hell of a Book": 2 wds. |
| 33% | RALPHELLISON | 12 | 14-Across and 28-Across novelist who was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1985 (2 wds.) |
| 33% | ELLIEGOULDING | 13 | English musician who received the UN Foundation's Global Leadership Award for environmental and social justice activism: 2 wds. |
| 32% | ALANSILVESTRI | 13 | American composer and conductor who scored music for "Back to the Future": 2 wds. |
| 32% | MALINDALO | 9 | Writer whose novel "Last Night at the Telegraph Club" won the 2021 National Book Award for Young People's Literature (2 wds.) |
| 32% | JESMYNWARD | 10 | Author whose novels "Salvage the Bones" and "Sing, Unburied, Sing" each won a National Book Award: 2 wds. |
| 31% | THESEAAROUNDUS | 14 | 44-Across book about the science and history of the ocean that won the 1952 National Book Award for Nonfiction (4 wds.) |
| 31% | TONYKUSHNER | 11 | "Angels in America" Pulitzer winner and 2005 inductee into the American Academy of Arts and Letters: 2 wds. |
| 31% | OCTAVIABUTLER | 13 | "Kindred" novelist who was awarded the 2005 Langston Hughes Medal (2 wds.) |
| 31% | TONIMORRISON | 12 | "Beloved" author who received the American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal in 2019: 2 wds. |
| 31% | JOHNUPDIKE | 10 | "Rabbit, Run" author who received the American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal in 2007: 2 wds. |