Chris Abani and Ananda Devi are on the shortlist for the Neustadt International Prize for Literature 2024 announced on Thursday, May 25, 2023.
The Neustadt International Prize for Literature is a biennial award sponsored by the United States’ University of Oklahoma and its international literary publication, World Literature Today. The prize for adult literature, is awarded to a living writer anywhere in any genre. A generous endowment from the Neustadt family of Dallas, Denver and Watertown, Massachusetts, ensures the award in perpetuity. First given in 1970 to Italian poet Giuseppe Ungaretti, it has been won by Nuruddin Farah, Mia Couto, Edwige Danticat, and Boris Boubacar Diop. Aminatta Forna and Abdellatif Laâbi have been finalists.
The jury for 2024 includes award–winning author William Alexander, award-winning illustrator Raúl Colón, comic book artist and writer Trung Le Nguyen, as well as authors Jessica Kim, Veera Hiranandani, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, Lawrence Schimel, Brenda Woods, and M. O. Yuksel.
The shortlist was announced with the following writers of African descent making the cut;
- Sanctificum, Chris Abani (Nigeria)
- Eve out of Her Ruins, Ananda Devi (Mauritius)
“We live in troubled times, and the Neustadt Prize, recognizing the best writers in the world, is a beacon of hope for the human adventure,” said Robert Con Davis-Undiano, executive director of World Literature Today, the sponsor of the prize. “Literature enhances our ability to recognize who we are and who we can become,” said Davis-Undiano, “and the work of the Neustadt jury year after year reflects the ongoing importance of literature in our lives.”
The winner, getting a $50,000 cash prize, will be announced during the Neustadt Lit Fest on Tuesday, October 24.
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