The Dublin Literary Award is one of the world’s most valuable annual prizes for a single work of fiction published in English, worth a cool €100,000 (A$147,400).
Now in its 27th year, the annual Dublin Literary Award has announced this year’s stellar shortlist. Diverse and world wide-ranging, the list includes two novels in translation and a first-time novelist.
One of the most generous prizes going in the industry, the winning translator also shares in the 100,000 prize money receiving a 25,000/ 75,00 split with the author.
Unique to the prize, the 79 longlist nominees are selected by librarians and readers from a network of libraries from around the world.
This year’s shortlist has been whittled down to six outstanding authors, with New Zealand author Catherine Chidgey’s Remote Sympathy novel, taking her place alongside French novelist Alice Zeniter, and Nigerian speculative fiction writer, and video artist, Akwaeke Emezi.
Chidgey is having an outstanding year, with her novel Remote Sympathy also being longlisted for the 2022 Women’s Prize for Fiction and shortlisted for this year’s Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction. Nick Hornby, praises Remote Sympathy calling it ‘A wonderful new talent.’
The full shortlist for this year’s prestigious Dublin Literary Award is:
Remote Sympathy (Catherine Chidgey, Te Herenga Waka University Press/Europa Editions)
At Night All Blood is Black (David Diop, trans by Anna Moschovakis, Pushkin)
The Death of Vivek Oji (Akwaeke Emezi, Faber)
The Art of Falling (Danielle McLaughlin, John Murray)
Noopiming: The Cure for White Ladies (Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, House of Anansi)
The Art of Losing (Alice Zeniter, trans by Frank Wynne, Picador).
Delighted to announce the 2022 #DubLitAward Shortlist!
Warmest congrats to ✨ @CathChidgey, @DDiop_ecrivain & Anna Moschovakis, @azemezi, Danielle McLaughlin, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, @AliceZeniter & @Terribleman.
Sponsored @DubCityCouncil.
▶️https://t.co/MISKsPh8ri pic.twitter.com/CCKCRoLmMy
— Dublin Literary Award (@DublinLitAward) March 22, 2022
The international panel of judges for this year’s prize are, authors Sinéad Moriarty, Alvin Pang, Professors Clíona Ní Ríordáin and Emmanuel Dandaura, and multiple award-winning playwright Victoria White.
The 27th winner will be announced on Thursday 19th May 2022, as part of the opening day program of the International Literature Festival Dublin (ILFDublin).
Mexican writer Valeria Luiselli won the 2021 Dublin Literary Award for her novel Lost Children Archive (Fourth Estate).
For more information about this year’s shortlist, see the prize website.
