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Literary legends dot the list of the National Book Award nominations, as E.L. Doctorow, Joan Didion and Mary Gaitskill are all up for America's biggest book prize.
Doctorow, a five-time winner and scribe of several books adapted into films, including "Ragtime" and "Billy Bathgate," is nominated for Civil War epic "The March." Gaitskill, whose short story "Secretary" was the basis for the indie film, is up for gritty tale "Veronica." Both are in the fiction category.
Didion is shortlisted for her tragic memoir "The Year of Magical Thinking."
These well-known names follow kudofest controversy last year over obscure fiction nominees.
Rene Steinke, William Vollman and Chris Sorrentino are also nominated in fiction.
Sept. 11 saga "102 Minutes," optioned to Columbia, is another nonfiction nominee.
Go to Variety.com/bookawards for a full list of nominees.
For more information, please visit http://www.variety.com.
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