Percival Everett’s new novel, “James,” a retelling of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” from the perspective of Huck’s enslaved companion, won the National Book Award for fiction on Wednesday. “James” flips the classic Mark Twain work on its head and explores how Huck’s companion, Jim, privately experienced the adventures, his thoughts about racism and the ways he behaved when white people weren’t around. Everett, whose literary work has largely focused on race in America, told the BBC earlier this year that the idea for “James” came to him one day as he was playing tennis. “I stopped and thought, ‘I wonder if anyone has written Huck Finn from Jim’s point of view?’” he recalled. Read more at the link in bio.