Nathan Englander has been announced as the winner of this year’s Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award, for his collection, What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank (Alfred A. Knopf).
Competing against a strong shortlist which included collections from short story specialists Etgar Keret and Kevin Barry, New Zealand novelist and short story writer Fiona Kidman, and debuts from Sarah Hall and Lucia Perillo, Englander’s collection was chosen as the winner of this year’s Frank O’Connor because of the ‘seasoned maturity shown by the author in creating stories which were multi-layered in meaning and written in an austere, contemporary idiom applied to ancient ethnic themes’.
Talking of this year’s winning collection, Award Director Patrick Cotter had the following to say:
I’m delighted this deserving book has emerged from a very strong shortlist. Nathan Englander now augments a list of legendary names who have been previous winners of this crucial literary award.
Englander, who also picks up a winner’s cheque for €25,000, now joins the prestigious ranks of previous Award winners who include Haruki Murakami, Simon van Booy, Miranda July and last year’s winner, Edna O’Brien.
For further details, please visit the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award website.
About Rob
Oops. How did this pass me by?
You know, I love, love, love the first story in this collection. But I didn’t think they were all equally as strong.
says:
Wish I could pass on an informed opinion Steve, but to honest I’ve yet to read this collection. That said I’m seeing him at EdBookFest this year so I should have it done ‘n’ dusted in the next couple of weeks. Your comment – and the fact that Nathan’s won the FOC award, of course – fills me with the hope that this is one fine collection.
Warmest
Rob