The Dylan Thomas Prize is a leading prize for young writers presented annually. The prize, named in honour of the Welsh writer and poet Dylan Thomas, brings international prestige and a remuneration of £30,000 (~$46,000). It is open to published writers in the English language under the age of forty. The prize was originally awarded biennially but became an annual award in 2010.[1] Entries for the prize are submitted by the publisher, editor, or agent; for theatre plays and screenplays, by the producer.

A Dylan Thomas literary prize was first awarded during the 1980s, known as the Dylan Thomas Award, following the campaign to have a plaque in the poet's memory placed in Westminster Abbey.[2] Surplus income from a fund-raising concert sponsored by the television company HTV were donated to allow a prize of £1,000 to be awarded annually.[2] After several years, the prize was discontinued for lack of finance. It was revived, in a different form, in 2004, sponsored by Electronic Data Systems, at that time one of Swansea's largest employers.[3]

The prize honours its shortlisted finalists and annual winner for published work in the broad range of literary forms in which Dylan Thomas excelled, including poetry, prose, fictional drama, short story collections, novels, novellas, stage plays and screenplays. “We want the world to be aware of the Welsh interest in promoting new writing. Our Prize provides an inspiration for a whole new generation of writers throughout the English-speaking world,” said Peter Stead, Chair of The Dylan Thomas Prize.

Recipients

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Dylan Thomas Prize recipients
Year Author Title Publisher Result Ref.
2006 Rachel Trezise Fresh Apples Winner [4]
Liza Ward Outside Valentine Shortlist [5]
James Scudamore The Amnesia Clinic
Ian Holding Unfeeling
Nick Laird Utterly Monkey and To a Fault
Lucy Caldwell Where They Were Missed
2008 Nam Le The Boat Winner [6]
Edward Hogan Blackmoor Shortlist [7]
Ceridwen Dovey Blood Kin
Dinaw Mengestu Children of the Revolution
Ross Raisin God's Own Country
Caroline Bird Trouble Came to the Turnip
2010 Elyse Fenton Clamor Winner [8]
Emily Mackie And This Is True Shortlist [9]
Nadifa Mohamed Black Mamba Boy
Karan Mahajan Family Planning
Eleanor Catton The Rehearsal
Caroline Bird Watering Can
2011 Lucy Caldwell The Meeting Point Winner [10]
Jacob McArthur Mooney Folk Shortlist [11]
Annabel Pitcher My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece
Benjamin Hale The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore
Téa Obreht The Tiger's Wife
2012 Maggie Shipstead Seating Arrangements Winner [12][13]
D.W. Wilson Once You Break A Knuckle Shortlist [14]
Tom Benn The Doll Princess
Chibundu Onuzo The Spider King's Daughter
Andrea Eames The White Shadow
2013 Claire Vaye Watkins Battleborn Winner [15]
Majok Tulba Beneath the Darkening Sky Shortlist [15]
Marli Roode Call It Dog
Prajwal Parajuly Land Where I Flee
James Brookes Sins of the Leopard
Tim Leach The Last King of Lydia
Jemma L. King The Shape of a Forest
2014 Joshua Ferris To Rise Again at a Decent Hour Winner [16][13]
Eimear McBride A Girl Is a Half-formed Thing Shortlist [17]
Owen Sheers Mametz
Naomi Wood Mrs. Hemingway
Kseniya Melnik Snow in May
Kei Miller The Cartographer Tries to Map a Way to Zion
Eleanor Catton The Luminaries
2016 Max Porter Grief Is the Thing with Feathers Winner [13]
Frances Leviston Disinformation Shortlist [18][19]
Andrew McMillan Physical
Claire-Louise Bennett Pond
Tania James The Tusk that did the Damage
Sunjeev Sahota The Year of the Runaways
2017 Fiona McFarlane The High Places Farrar, Straus & Giroux Winner
Anuk Arudpragasam The Story of a Brief Marriage Granta| Shortlist [20]
Alys Conran Pigeon Parthian Books
Luke Kennard Cain Penned in the Margins
Sarah Perry The Essex Serpent Serpent's Tail
Callan Wink Dog Run Moon: Stories Granta
Safiya Sinclair Cannibal University of Nebraska Press Longlist [21]
Jonathan Safran Foer Here I Am Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Yaa Gyasi Homegoing Alfred A. Knopf
Benjamin Hale The Fat Artist and Other Stories Picador / Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Hannah Kohler The Outside Lands Picador / Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Helen Oyeyemi What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours Picador / Farrar, Straus and Giroux
2018 Kayo Chingonyi Kumukanda Chatto & Windus Winner [22]
Sally Rooney Conversations with Friends Faber & Faber Shortlist [23]
Gwendoline Riley First Love Granta
Carmen Maria Machado Her Body and Other Parties Graywolf Press
Emily Ruskovich Idaho Vintage Books
Gabriel Tallent My Absolute Darling Fourth Estate / HarperCollins
2019 Guy Gunaratne In Our Mad and Furious City Tinder Press / Headline Publishing Group Winner [24][25]
Zoe Gilbert Folk Bloomsbury Publishing Shortlist [26]
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah Friday Black Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (US); Riverrun (UK)
Novuyo Rosa Tshuma House of Stone Atlantic Books
Sarah Perry Melmoth Serpent's Tail
Louisa Hall Trinity Ecco Press
Jenny Xie Eye Level Graywolf Press Longlist [27]
Michael Donkor Hold Fourth Estate / HarperCollins
Clare Fisher How the Light Gets In Influx Press
Sally Rooney Normal People Faber & Faber
Emma Glass Peach Bloomsbury Publishing
Richard Scott Soho Faber & Faber
2020 Bryan Washington Lot Atlantic Books Winner [28][29]
Mary Jean Chan Flèche Faber & Faber Shortlist [30][31]
Stephen Sexton If All the World and Love Were Young Penguin Random House
Téa Obreht Inland Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Ocean Vuong On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous Jonathan Cape / Vintage Books
Jay Bernard Surge Chatto & Windus
Helen Mort Black Car Burning Chatto & Windus Longlist [32]
Meena Kandasamy Exquisite Cadavers Atlantic Books
Yara Rodrigues Fowler Stubborn Archivist Fleet Publishing / Little, Brown and Company
Madhuri Vijay The Far Field Atlantic Books
Kirsty Logan Things We Say in the Dark Harvill Secker / Vintage Books
Yelena Moskovich Virtuoso Serpent's Tail
2021 Raven Leilani Luster Picador / Farrar, Straus and Giroux Winner [33]
Dima Alzayat Alligator and Other Stories Picador / Farrar, Straus and Giroux Shortlist [34]
Rye Curtis Kingdomtide Fourth Estate / HarperCollins
Kate Elizabeth Russell My Dark Vanessa Fourth Estate / HarperCollins
Catherine Lacey Pew Granta
Akwaeke Emezi The Death of Vivek Oji Faber & Faber
Romalyn Ante Antiemetic for Homesickness Chatto & Windus Longlist [35]
Naoise Dolan Exciting Times Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Frances Cha If I Had Your Face Viking / Penguin Random House
Will Harris Rendang Granta
Caoilinn Hughes The Wild Laughter Oneworld Publications
Gabriel Krauze Who They Was Fourth Estate / HarperCollins
2022 Patricia Lockwood (Collected by Caspian Dennis) No One Is Talking About This Bloomsbury Publishing Winner [36]
Caleb Azumah Nelson Open Water Viking Press Shortlist [37]
Nathan Harris The Sweetness of Water Tinder Press / Headline Publishing Group
Brandon Taylor Filthy Animals Daunt Books Publishing
Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe Auguries of a Minor God Faber & Faber
Anuk Arudpragasam A Passage North Granta Longlist [38]
Megan Nolan Acts of Desperation Jonathan Cape
Fiona Mozley Hot Stew John Murray Press
Tice Cin Keeping the House And Other Stories
Dantiel W. Moniz Milk Blood Heat Atlantic Books
Helen Oyeyemi Peaces Faber & Faber
Desiree Bailey What Noise Against the Cane Yale University Press
2023 Arinze Ifeakandu God's Children Are Little Broken Things Winner [39]
Warsan Shire Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head Shortlist [13]
Sheena Patel I'm a Fan
Saba Sams Send Nudes
Sara Baume Seven Steeples
Robbie Arnott Limberlost
2024 Caleb Azumah Nelson Small Worlds Winner [40]
Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ A Spell of Good Things Shortlist [41]
A. K. Blakemore The Glutton
Mary Jean Chan Bright Fear
Joshua Jones Local Fires
Catherine Lacey Biography of X

References

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  1. ^ "Dylan Thomas shortlisted writers reach out to young". BBC News Wales. 29 November 2010. Archived from the original on 20 November 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  2. ^ a b About Archived 2012-04-12 at the Wayback Machine, The Dylan Prize website
  3. ^ New Writing International[permanent dead link], 22 Sept 2006
  4. ^ Ezard, John (October 28, 2006). "Welsh novelist is first winner of £60,000 Dylan Thomas award". The Guardian. Archived from the original on May 11, 2017. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  5. ^ Jury, Louise (September 23, 2006). "Young writers come of age on shortlist for Thomas prize". The Independent. Archived from the original on October 30, 2014. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  6. ^ Lea, Richard (November 11, 2008). "£60,000 Dylan Thomas prize goes to globetrotting debut author". The Guardian. Archived from the original on April 24, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  7. ^ Flood, Alison (September 16, 2008). "Young literary stars contend for £60,000 award". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 27, 2014. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  8. ^ "US poet wins £30,000 Dylan Thomas prize". BBC News. December 1, 2010. Archived from the original on June 8, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  9. ^ Flood, Alison (September 22, 2012). "Women dominate Dylan Thomas prize shortlist". The Guardian. Archived from the original on July 2, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  10. ^ "Lucy Caldwell wins 2011 Dylan Thomas Prize" (PDF). The University of Wales. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 January 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  11. ^ "Dylan Thomas Prize 2011 shortlist is announced". BBC News. October 20, 2011. Archived from the original on December 30, 2011. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  12. ^ "Dylan Thomas Prize for Maggie Shipstead with first novel". BBC News. November 10, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  13. ^ a b c d Schaub, Michael (2023-03-25). "Finalists for Dylan Thomas Prize Are Revealed". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
  14. ^ "Top 5 Under 30: Dylan Thomas Prize Shortlist Highlights the Rising Stars of the Literary World" (PDF) (Press release). The University of Wales Dylan Thomas Prize. October 19, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2012.[permanent dead link]
  15. ^ a b "Dylan Thomas Prize: US writer Claire Vaye Watkins wins £30,000". BBC News. November 7, 2013. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
  16. ^ Wroe, Nicholas (7 November 2014). "Joshua Ferris wins Dylan Thomas prize". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Archived from the original on 12 November 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  17. ^ "2014 shortlist announced for International Dylan Thomas Prize" Archived 2016-11-11 at the Wayback Machine, Swansea University.
  18. ^ "£30k Dylan Thomas prize shortlist for young writers revealed" Archived 2019-04-11 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News, Wales, 22 March 2016.
  19. ^ Flood, Alison (22 March 2016). "International Dylan Thomas prize 2016 unveils 'phenomenally talented' shortlist". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2021-12-01. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  20. ^ "2017: Fiona McFarlane, 'The High Places'". www.swansea.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  21. ^ "Longlist announced for the 2017 International Dylan Thomas Prize" Archived 2017-02-11 at the Wayback Machine, Swansea University.
  22. ^ "Dylan Thomas Prize 2018 shortlist announced". Books+Publishing. Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
  23. ^ "Dylan Thomas Prize 2018 shortlist announced". Books+Publishing. Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
  24. ^ Flood, Alison (2019-05-16). "Guy Gunaratne wins Dylan Thomas prize for 'urgent' London novel". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2019-05-16. Retrieved 2019-05-16.
  25. ^ "'Stunning' debut scoops Dylan prize". 17 May 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-12-04. Retrieved 2020-01-11 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  26. ^ "2019 Dylan Thomas Prize shortlist announced". Books+Publishing. 2019-04-03. Archived from the original on 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2019-04-03.
  27. ^ Flood, Alison (2019-01-31). "Dylan Thomas prize: teacher and nurse among 'starburst' of young talent". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2019-02-03. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
  28. ^ "Award Ceremony 2020 - Swansea University". www.swansea.ac.uk. Retrieved 2020-05-15.[permanent dead link]
  29. ^ Mem: 9020728. "Washington wins 2020 Dylan Thomas Prize | Books+Publishing". Archived from the original on 2020-06-01. Retrieved 2020-05-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  30. ^ "Dylan Thomas Prize 2020 shortlist announced". Books+Publishing. 8 April 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-04-11. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
  31. ^ "2020 shortlist". Swansea University. Archived from the original on December 21, 2023. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  32. ^ "2020 Longlist - Swansea University". www.swansea.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 2020-04-13. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
  33. ^ "Dylan Thomas Prize: New Yorker Raven Leilani wins accolade". BBC News. 13 May 2021. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  34. ^ "Shortlist for Dylan Thomas Prize Is Revealed". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on 2021-09-16. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
  35. ^ "Dylan Thomas Prize 2021: Longlist Announced". Wales Arts Review. 2021-01-21. Archived from the original on 2021-01-22. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
  36. ^ "Lockwood wins Dylan Thomas prize for 'No One is Talking About This'". Books+Publishing. 2022-05-13. Archived from the original on 2022-05-14. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
  37. ^ "Dylan Thomas Prize 2022 shortlist announced". Books+Publishing. 2022-04-04. Archived from the original on 2022-04-29. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
  38. ^ "Diverse and global voices dominate the longlist for the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize". Swansea University. Archived from the original on 2022-02-03. Retrieved 2022-02-04.
  39. ^ Schaub, MIchael (2023-05-11). "Winner of the 2023 Dylan Thomas Prize Is Revealed". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on 2023-05-12. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  40. ^ Schaub, Michael (2024-05-17). "Winner of the 2024 Dylan Thomas Prize Is Revealed". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on 2024-05-20. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  41. ^ "Dylan Thomas Prize 2024 shortlist announced". Books+Publishing. 2024-03-26. Archived from the original on 2024-03-28. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
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