You are viewing your 1 free article this month. Login to read more articles.
Oneworld's Edwards shortlisted for Commonwealth Book Prize
Man Booker-longlisted novel A Cupboard Full of Coats by Yvette Edwards, published by small independent Oneworld, has been shortlisted for the 2012 Commonwealth Book Prize.
Two titles from Random House imprints, William Heinemann's The Sentimentalists by Johanna Skibsrud and Jonathan Cape's The Dubious Salvation of Jack V by Jacques Strauss also make the list. Weidenfeld & Nicolson has Jubilee by Shelley Harris, with Bloomsbury's Kerry Young longlisted for Pao. The Wandering Falcon by Jamil Ahmad from Hamish Hamilton and The Sly Company of People Who Care by Rahul Bhattacharya (Picador) are also on the list.
Chair of the Commonwealth Book Prize, Margaret Busby said: “Being a prize for first novels, the judges were looking for potential and promise from the entries. We certainly found what we were hoping for with some consummately accomplished writing from some very interesting writers."
Australian publisher Text Publishing Company has three on the list: Cory Taylor's Me and Mr Booker; Mette Jakobsen's The Vanishing Act; and The Ottoman Hotel by Christopher Currie.
Canadian publishers Goose Lane Editions' The Town That Drowned by Riel Nason and Cormorant Books' Dancing Lessons by Oliver Senior are in the running.
Rebirth: A Novel by Jahnavi Barua (Penguin Books India); The Book of Answers by C Y Gopinath (HarperCollins India); and Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew by Shehan Karunatilaka (Random House India) complete the showing from Indian publishers.
Two South African titles are on the list: Patchwork by Ellen Banda-Aaku (Penguin Books, South Africa) and The Dancing and the Death on Lemon Street by Denis Hirson (Jacana Media).
Sweetheart by Alecia McKenzie from Jamaica's Peepal Tree Press and Purple Threads by Jeanine Leane (University of Queensland Press) complete the list.
The Commonwealth Short Story Prize also includes UK authors Chris Hill, Nick Holdstock, Andrea Mullaney and Mahesh Rao.
The regional winners will be revealed on 22nd May, with the overall winner announced at the Hay Festival on 8th June.
Commonwealth Writers is a new cultural programme within the Commonwealth Foundation which develops, connects and inspires writers. The prize was relaunched on its 25th anniversary last year.
The lists in full:
Commonwealth Book Prize
The Wandering Falcon, Jamil Ahmad (Pakistan), Hamish Hamilton
Patchwork, Ellen Banda-Aaku (Zambia), Penguin Books, South Africa
Rebirth: a novel, Jahnavi Barua (India), Penguin Books India
The Sly Company of People Who Care, Rahul Bhattacharya (India) Picador
The Ottoman Hotel, Christopher Currie (Australia), The Text Publishing Company
A Cupboard Full of Coats, Yvvette Edwards (UK), Oneworld Publications
The Book of Answers, C Y Gopinath (India), HarperCollins India
Jubilee, Shelley Harris (South Africa), Weidenfeld & Nicolson
The Dancing and the Death on Lemon Street, Denis Hirson (UK), Jacana Media
The Vanishing Act, Mette Jakobsen (Australia), The Text Publishing Company
Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew, Shehan Karunatilaka (Sri Lanka), Random House India
Purple Threads, Jeanine Leane (Australia), University of Queensland Press
Sweetheart, Alecia McKenzie (Jamaica), Peepal Tree Press
The Town that Drowned, Riel Nason (Canada), Goose Lane Editions
Dancing Lessons, Olive Senior (Canada), Cormorant Books
The Sentimentalists, Johanna Skibsrud (Canada), William Heinemann
The Dubious Salvation of Jack V, Jacques Strauss (South Africa), Jonathan Cape
Me and Mr Booker, Cory Taylor (Australia), The Text Publishing Company
Pao, Kerry Young (UK), Bloomsbury
Commonwealth Short Story Prize
Morrison Okoli (1955-2010), Jekwu Anyaegbuna (Nigeria)
Flight, Jayne Bauling (South Africa)
The Queen’s Blessing, Edyth Bulbring (South Africa)
Devil Star, Hazel Campbell (Jamaica)
Brothers, Adrienne Frater (New Zealand)
Like a Heart Maybe, but Cold, Chris Hill (UK)
The False River, Nick Holdstock (UK)
Radio Story, Anushka Jasraj (India)
Rush, Nic Low (Australia)
Elbow, Khadija Magardie (South Africa)
Two Girls in a Boat, Emma Martin (New Zealand)
Glory, Janice Lynn Mather (The Bahamas)
The Dolphin Catcher, Diane McCauley (Jamaica)
Friends, Sharon Millar (Trinidad and Tobago)
The Ghost Marriage, Andrea Mullaney (UK)
If These Walls had Ears, Carl Nixon (New Zealand)
Next Full Moon We’ll Release Juno, Bridget Pitt (South Africa)
The Crane, Sarah Quigley (New Zealand)
Drums, Mahesh Rao (UK)
Ammulu, Poile Sengupta (India)
Another Dull Day, Sreejith Sukumaran (India)
