I don’t know whether you caught my mammoth Commonwealth Writers’ Prize shortlist post last month, but the regional winners for the prize have now been announced, and the finalists, from which an overall winner will be chosen at the start of April, is as follows:
Regional Winners – Best Book
- Africa: The Double Crown by Marié Heese. Country: South Africa. Country: Human & Rousseau.
- Caribbean and Canada: Galore by Michael Crummey. Country: Canada. Publisher: Doubleday Canada.
- South Asia & Europe: Solo by Rana Dasgupta. Country: Britain. Publisher: Fourth Estate.
- South East Asia and Pacific:The Adventures of Vela by Albert Wendt. Country: Samoa. Publisher: Huia Publishers.
Regional Winners – Best First Book
- Africa: I Do Not Come to You by Chance by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani. Country: Nigeria. Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson(?)
- Caribbean and Canada: Under this Unbroken Sky by Shandi Mitchell. Country: Canada. Publisher: Viking Canada.
- South Asia & Europe:In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin. Country: Pakistan. Publisher: Random House India(?)
- South East Asia and Pacific:Siddon Rock by Glenda Guest. Country: Australia. Publisher: Vintage Australia.
Speaking of the eight finalists Mark Collins, Director of the Commonwealth Foundation, had this to say:
The level of entries this year has been absolutely outstanding and the competition is fierce. I would like to congratulate all the regional winners in getting through to the final stage and I look forward to welcoming them to India. Once again, the Prize is identifying the best of Commonwealth fiction written in English and in doing so, spotting rising talent and creating new literary heroes from the Commonwealth. Taken as a whole, the eight winning books – from Australia, Canada, Nigeria, Pakistan, Samoa, South Africa and the UK – are reaching out to readers across all cultures. These compelling works that have reached the final stage offer strong insight, spirit and voice about the incredible diversity, history and life of the Commonwealth.
Congratulations to all winners, commiserations to all those who didn’t make the final. Please pop back to RobAroundBooks on or around April 12th to find out the overall winner for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize 2010, for ‘Best Book’ and ‘Best First Book’.
About Rob
I love this list! I’m tempted to read all of them, but I’ll resist for now! I have just ordered I Do Not Come to You by Chance and will see how it goes from there.
says:
Given that they are all winners it is tempting to read them all Jackie, isn’t it? If only time and money were no object
. Good luck with Nwaubani’s novel; perhaps the most ‘exotic’ of the bunch (with the exception of Wendt’s Samoan offering of course).
Warmest
Rob
Galore is a brilliant book! It begins with a man emerging from the mouth of a whale, and the tales get taller from there. I read it in two great gulps.
says:
How can one resist a novel that has such a memorable beginning Nathalie? You’ll be hoping it’s a winner then
Warmest
Rob