Literary Prize Round-Up
Are you a literary prize reader? I love following literary prizes, because, with so many books to read (and so little time to read them in!), it helps me to decide which books to read next.
Top Five 2022 Literary Prize Nominees (so far!)
Assembly by Natasha Brown, shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize
The themes that Assembly explores might sound familiar, but its protagonist has a story worth telling, and it feels like her own. I loved the multi-layered character Natasha Brown has crafted, and the way she tells her story. The writing feels almost poetic. A remarkable debut.
Things I Have Withheld by Kei Miller, shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize
Things I Have Withheld is a brilliant, insightful, and moving collection of disarmingly personal essays, which sets a new standard for the genre. Kei Miller's talent for writing, and storytelling, is evident, and I have obviously been missing out by not reading his words until now.
The Bread the Devil Knead by Lisa Allen-Agostini, longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction
I read The Bread the Devil Knead in one sitting, reading past my usual bedtime, and if that isn't the sign of a good book then I don't know what is. Lisa Allen-Agostini tells her protagonist's story of daily life and past trauma with candour and sensitivity, but this book takes the reader to some dark places so it won't be for everyone. I loved the way she evokes the book's Trinidad and Tobago setting.
A Blood Condition by Kayo Chingonyi, longlisted for the Jhalak Prize
A Blood Condition is the kind of poetry collection that makes you wonder why you don't read more poetry. This is such a wonderfully connected collection, in which you can admire the curation of the whole as well as the composition of individual poems. I loved the rhythm of Kayo Chingonyi's writing, which made reading A Blood Condition such an pleasurable experience. An impressive, moving, and highly readable collection.
China Room by Sunjeev Sahota, shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize
I thought this was a really rich story, beautifully written and utterly compelling. I loved the way the two strands of the story were interwoven, one following a young bride in 1929 Punjab, the other, in 1999, a young man in India recovering from drug addiction before starting university back home in England. China Room felt like a real and personal story, and I enjoyed it very much.
Honorary mention: Brown Baby: A Memoir of Race, Family and Home by Nikesh Shukla, longlisted for the Jhalak Prize.
Top Five (still!) on my TBR
My Phantoms by Gwendoline Riley, shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize.
Heaven by Mieko Kawakami, shortlisted for the International Booker Prize.
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead, longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction.
The Khan by Saima Mir, longlisted for the Jhalak Prize.
This One Sky Day by Leone Ross, longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction.
Have you read any of these? What did you think?
Top Five 2022 Literary Prize Nominees (so far!)
Assembly by Natasha Brown, shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize
The themes that Assembly explores might sound familiar, but its protagonist has a story worth telling, and it feels like her own. I loved the multi-layered character Natasha Brown has crafted, and the way she tells her story. The writing feels almost poetic. A remarkable debut.
Things I Have Withheld by Kei Miller, shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize
Things I Have Withheld is a brilliant, insightful, and moving collection of disarmingly personal essays, which sets a new standard for the genre. Kei Miller's talent for writing, and storytelling, is evident, and I have obviously been missing out by not reading his words until now.
The Bread the Devil Knead by Lisa Allen-Agostini, longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction
I read The Bread the Devil Knead in one sitting, reading past my usual bedtime, and if that isn't the sign of a good book then I don't know what is. Lisa Allen-Agostini tells her protagonist's story of daily life and past trauma with candour and sensitivity, but this book takes the reader to some dark places so it won't be for everyone. I loved the way she evokes the book's Trinidad and Tobago setting.
A Blood Condition by Kayo Chingonyi, longlisted for the Jhalak Prize
A Blood Condition is the kind of poetry collection that makes you wonder why you don't read more poetry. This is such a wonderfully connected collection, in which you can admire the curation of the whole as well as the composition of individual poems. I loved the rhythm of Kayo Chingonyi's writing, which made reading A Blood Condition such an pleasurable experience. An impressive, moving, and highly readable collection.
China Room by Sunjeev Sahota, shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize
I thought this was a really rich story, beautifully written and utterly compelling. I loved the way the two strands of the story were interwoven, one following a young bride in 1929 Punjab, the other, in 1999, a young man in India recovering from drug addiction before starting university back home in England. China Room felt like a real and personal story, and I enjoyed it very much.
Honorary mention: Brown Baby: A Memoir of Race, Family and Home by Nikesh Shukla, longlisted for the Jhalak Prize.
Top Five (still!) on my TBR
My Phantoms by Gwendoline Riley, shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize.
Heaven by Mieko Kawakami, shortlisted for the International Booker Prize.
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead, longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction.
The Khan by Saima Mir, longlisted for the Jhalak Prize.
This One Sky Day by Leone Ross, longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction.
Have you read any of these? What did you think?
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