Anjali Joseph’s Saraswati Park and Manu Joseph’s Serious Men have been shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers Best First Book Prize for the South Asia and Europe Region. Leila Abouleila”s Lyrics Alley has made the shortlist in the Best Book category. (February 11, 2011)
The Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, internationally recognised for its role in celebrating ground-breaking works from both new and established authors, has today unveiled a mix of established and undiscovered stars for the South Asia and Europe regional shortlist for the 2011 Prize.
The Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, supported by the Macquarie Group Foundation and now in its 25th year, has selected both household names, including Andrea Levy, and the future literacy icons of tomorrow for the shortlists for Best Book and Best First Book awards.
The winners from South Asia and Europe will go on to compete against writers from across the Commonwealth at the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize’s final programme to be held at Sydney Writers’ Festival from the 16th to the 22nd May.
The shortlisted writers for South Asia and Europe Best Book are:
Lyrics Alley by Leila Abouleila (UK)
The Betrayal by Helen Dunmore (UK)
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell (UK)
The Long Song by Andrea Levy (UK)
Sex and Stravinsky by Barbara Trapido (UK)
Union Atlantic by Adam Haslett (UK)
The shortlisted writers for South Asia and Europe Best First Book are:
Serious Men by Manu Joseph (India)
Saraswati Park by Anjali Joseph (India)
The House with the Blue Shutters by Lisa Hilton (UK)
Children of the Sun by Max Shaefer (UK)
Grace Williams says it Loud by Emma Henderson (UK)
Sabra Zoo by Mischa Hiller (UK)
