Caleb Azumah Nelson, A K Blakemore and Ayòbámi Adébáyò shortlisted for £20k Dylan Thomas Prize

Caleb Azumah Nelson, A K Blakemore and Ayòbámi Adébáyò are among those shortlisted for the £20,000 Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize with five of the six titles published by independent presses.

The world’s largest and most prestigious literary prize for young writers recognises exceptional literary talent aged 39 or under, celebrating the international world of fiction in all its forms. 

There is only one from a corporate publisher: Azumah Nelson is nominated for the second time for novel Small Worlds (Viking), with all the others from independents. There is one poetry collection on the list – Bright Fear by Mary Jean Chan (Faber) and one short story collection from the one debut author on the shortlist, Local Fires by Joshua Jones (Parthian Books).

Three other novels are in contention for the £20,000 prize: Blakemore’s The Glutton (Granta), A Spell of Good Things by Adébáyò (Canongate), who is shortlisted for the second time, and Biography of X by American author Catherine Lacey (Granta).

Namita Gokhale, chair of judges, said: “The Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize has an important role to play in recognising, supporting and nurturing young writers across a rich diversity of locations and genres. The 2024 shortlist has authors from the US, UK, Hong Kong, Nigeria and Ghana, and it has been a truly rewarding adventure to immersively read through this creative spectrum of voices.”  

The shortlist was selected from a 12-strong longlist by a judging panel chaired by writer and co-director of the Jaipur Literature Festival Namita Gokhale, alongside author and lecturer in Creative Writing at Swansea University and Jon Gower, winner of the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature in 2022. The panel also included assistant professor at Trinity College Dublin Seán Hewitt, former BBC Gulf Correspondent and author Julia Wheeler alongside artist and writer Tice Cin. 

The winner’s announcement will take place in Swansea on 16th May following Dylan Thomas Day (14th May). 

Last year’s prize went to Arinze Ifeakandu, for his debut short story collection God’s Children Are Little Broken Things (Weidenfeld & Nicolson).