SHORTLIST ANNOUNCEMENT: 27th March 2018
WINNER’S ANNOUNCEMENT: 10th May 2018
IDTP LONGLIST
NOVELS
AYỌ̀BÁMI ADÉBÁYỌ̀ (NIGERIA)
LISA MCINERNEY (IRELAND)
FIONA MOZLEY (UK)
GWENDOLINE RILEY (UK)
SALLY ROONEY (IRELAND)
EMILY RUSKOVICH (USA)
GABRIEL TALLENT (USA)
MEENA KANDASAMY (INDIA)
SHORT STORIES
CARMEN MARIA MACHADO (USA)
ELEY WILLIAMS (UK)
POETRY
KAYO CHINGONYI (ZAMBIA)
JAMES WOMACK (UK)
The Swansea University International Dylan Thomas Prize returns for its 10th edition in 2018, commemorating 65 years since the death of Wales’ most lauded writer Dylan Thomas. Worth £30,000, it is one of the UK’s most prestigious literary prizes as well as the world’s largest literary prize for young writers. The shortlist of six will be announced on 27th March, and the winner will be announced on 10thMay.
Awarded for the best published literary work in the English language, written by an author aged 39 or under, the Prize celebrates the international world of fiction in all its forms including poetry, novels, short stories and drama. The prize is named after the Swansea-born writer, Dylan Thomas, and celebrates his 39 years of creativity and productivity. One of the most influential, internationally-renowned writers of the mid-twentieth century, the prize invokes his memory to support the writers of today and nurture the talents of tomorrow.
This year’s longlist of 12 books comprises eight novels, two short story collections, and two volumes of poetry. Included in the female-dominant international longlist are Bailey’s Women’s Prize for Fiction winner and Irish novelist, Lisa McInerney; the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year, Sally Rooney; Zambian-born poet and Geoffrey Dearmer Prize recipient, Kayo Chingonyi; and one of India’s most prominent women’s rights and anti-caste activists, novelist Meena Kandasamy.
Last year, Australian writer Fiona McFarlane won The Swansea University International Dylan Thomas Prize for her highly-acclaimed collection of short stores, The High Places.
Chaired by Professor Dai Smith CBE, Emeritus Raymond Williams Research Chair in the Cultural History of Wales at Swansea University, and historian and writer on Welsh arts and culture, this year’s judging panel also features: Founder and Director of the Jaipur Literature Festival, Namita Gokhale; winner of the inaugural International Dylan Thomas Prize novelist and playwright, Rachel Trezise; poet, translator, and scholar, Professor Kurt Heinzelman; and author and Founder of London Short Story Festival, Paul McVeigh.
Professor Dai Smith CBE, said: “This year’s longlist demonstrates the originality and literary excellence of work being produced by young writers from around the world. Featuring prose and poetry from new and established authors, this is an intriguing and scarily good longlist! The judges now have a very difficult job, but we can be certain that we will have an exceptionally strong shortlist of six stunningly gifted authors.”
The shortlist of six books will be revealed on 27th March. The winner will be announced on Thursday 10th May at Swansea University’s Great Hall, in the run up to International Dylan Thomas Day on 14th May which will commemorate 2018 being 65 years since Dylan Thomas’ death. On 8th May the shortlisted authors will give readings of their books up for the prestigious award at a ticketed event at the British Library.
The shortlisted authors will also participate in the DylanED programme, an initiative set up by Swansea University in conjunction with the prize to engage young people with international literature and Wales’ rich cultural history. The shortlist is directly involved in the programme that runs all year round, and authors have previously done workshops with local college students, given readings and talks at local schools, and given masterclasses at the University. Since 2016 Welsh students are invited to review books from the shortlist for the DylanED Book Review Competition and will present their winning reviews at a special winner’s ceremony in front of the shortlisted authors.
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