| 100% | TANEHISICOATES | 14 | African-American author of "Between the World and Me," winner of the 2015 National Book Award for Nonfiction: 2 wds. |
| 60% | RALPHELLISON | 12 | African-American author of "Invisible Man," winner of the 1953 National Book Award for Fiction: 2 wds. |
| 58% | JAMESMCBRIDE | 12 | African-American author of "The Good Lord Bird," winner of the 2013 National Book Award for Fiction: 2 wds. |
| 47% | TANEHISI | 8 | "Between the World and Me" National Book Award winner Coates |
| 47% | LAURENGROFF | 11 | "Fates and Furies" author whose "Florida" was nominated for the 2018 National Book Award for Fiction (2 wds.) |
| 46% | TANEHISICOATES | 14 | "Between the World and Me" author who won a "genius grant" in 2015: 2 wds. |
| 45% | JASONMOTT | 9 | Author who won the 2021 National Book Award for Fiction for "Hell of a Book": 2 wds. |
| 45% | VIOLADAVIS | 10 | Winner of the 2015 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series: 2 wds. |
| 43% | RICHARDPOWERS | 13 | Author of 18-Across, 40-Across, and the National Book Award-winning "The 9-Down Maker" (2 wds.) |
| 43% | THESEAAROUNDUS | 14 | 44-Across book about the science and history of the ocean that won the 1952 National Book Award for Nonfiction (4 wds.) |
| 43% | IBRAMXKENDI | 11 | Youngest winner of the National Book Award for Nonfiction |
| 42% | COATES | 6 | Ta-Nehisi __, author of Between the World and Me |
| 42% | SIGRIDNUNEZ | 11 | "Salvation City" author whose "The Friend" won the 2018 National Book Award for Fiction (2 wds.) |
| 42% | JASONMOTT | 9 | Writer whose novel "Hell of a Book" won the 2021 National Book Award for Fiction (2 wds.) |
| 42% | THEEMISSARY | 11 | Book that won the 2018 National Book Award for Translated Literature, written by Yoko Tawada and translated by Margaret Mitsutani: 2 wds. |
| 41% | SILENTSPRING | 12 | 44-Across book about the environmental harm done by pesticides that was a finalist for the 1963 National Book Award for Nonfiction (2 wds.) |
| 41% | TESSGUNTY | 9 | Author who won the 2022 National Book Award for Fiction for "The Rabbit Hutch": 2 wds. |
| 40% | NORMANMAILER | 12 | "The Naked and the Dead" novelist awarded the 2005 National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters (2 wds.) |
| 40% | CHARLESYU | 9 | Author who won the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction for "Interior Chinatown": 2 wds. |
| 40% | SUSANCHOI | 9 | Author who won the 2019 National Book Award for Fiction for "Trust Exercise": 2 wds. |
| 40% | JESMYNWARD | 10 | Author whose novels "Salvage the Bones" and "Sing, Unburied, Sing" each won a National Book Award: 2 wds. |
| 40% | ALLISONJANNEY | 13 | 2014 and 2015 winner of the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy for "Mom": 2 wds. |
| 39% | DALLASKEUCHEL | 13 | 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner who started two World Series games for the 19-Across: 2 wds. |
| 39% | DANGELORUSSEL | 13 | No. 1 guard for the LA Lakers, and Jerry West award winner in 2015 : 2 wds. |
| 39% | CLASSIC | 7 | Fall ___, another name for the annual MLB World Series played between the champions of the American League and the National League |
| 39% | TANEHISICOATES | 14 | MacArthur Fellowship-winning author of "Between the World and Me" |
| 39% | RALPHELLISON | 12 | African-American writer of 14-Across and 28-Across awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1985 (2 wds.) |
| 39% | FORTUNESMILES | 13 | Adam Johnson short story collection that won the National Book Award for Fiction in 2015 (2 wds.) |
| 39% | JAMESMCBRIDE | 12 | 15-Across and 47-Across writer who won the 2013 National Book Award for Fiction for "The Good Lord Bird" (2 wds.) |
| 39% | SUSANCHOI | 9 | 15-Across and 33-Across writer who won the 2019 National Book Award for Fiction for her novel "Trust Exercise" (2 wds.) |