Writing Africa: Archiving African and Black Literature

Laila Lalami

Laila Lalami makes US Kirkus Prize 2019 shortlist.

Laila Lalami’s novel The Other Americans is on the shortlist in the Fiction category of the Kirkus Prize 2019 announced on September 17, 2018.

Kirkus Reviews is a US book review magazine, founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus, that publishes previews of books prior to their publication. The Kirkus Prize was created to celebrate the years of criticism that Kirkus Reviews had contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large. It is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction, and young readers’ literature.

Lesley Nneka Arimah won the fiction category for her short story collection What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky in 2017. Those who have been shortlisted have been Tomi Adeyemi in 2018 and Dinaw Mengestu in 2014.

The shortlists have been announced in the three categories; the fiction category has the following shortlist;

  • Cantoras by Carolina De Robertis.
  • The Other Americans by Laila Lalami.
  • Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli.
  • Territory of Light by Yuko Tsushima, translated by Geraldine Harcourt
  • On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
  • The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

Morocco-born Laila Lalami is the author of four novels, including the Pulitzer Prize finalist The Moor’s Account and her most recent The Other Americans which is in the running for the Kirkus Prize.

The author, on learning on her shortlisting simply stated on her Twitter;” What a thrill and an honor to be included in such fine company!! My heart is full.❤️📚”

The Kirkus Prize judges will announce the winners in the three categories on Thursday, October 24, 2019.


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