The Twenty-Five.
Every juror is named on the day submissions open. The panels rotate in full each year; no juror serves twice in three seasons. They are compensated as scholars are compensated, at rates published in our public accounts. Between them, they will read approximately fourteen hundred books before the ceremony.
The FictionPanel.
Five readers of the American novel. They will read four hundred and seventeen books between January 8 and October 6. The panel is chaired, by tradition, by a novelist who has served on no more than one prior panel.
The PoetryPanel.
Five readers of American verse. They will read one hundred and twenty-four books, and, per the panel's own tradition since 1988, will read each of them aloud at some point in the season, if only to themselves.
The NonfictionPanel.
Five readers of history, criticism, memoir, and reportage. The nonfiction panel is, by convention, the panel that argues most. It has never once produced a unanimous shortlist on the first vote.
The Translated LiteraturePanel.
Five readers of literature into English from languages other than English. Between them, they read in eleven languages, which is not always five more than the panel needs.
The Letters to a Young ReaderPanel.
Five readers of picture books, middle grade, and books for younger readers. By the guidelines, at least one juror must be a working children's librarian, and at least one a reader under the age of eighteen.
Every juror is named publicly on the day submissions open, and every citation is signed. A juror is expected to be prepared to defend, at any moment for the following twelve months, the choices of their panel. This is not comfortable. It is not intended to be.
— From the founding guidelines, Section 2, paragraph 3.