Lemn Sissay and Paul Mendez are on the shortlist for the Gordon Burn Prize 2020 announced today, July 23, 2020.
Gordon Burn, who passed away in 2009, was an English writer who wrote four novels and several works of non-fiction. In 2013, a new award in his honour, the Gordon Burn Prize was launched and is jointly organised by the Gordon Burn Trust, New Writing North, and Faber & Faber. It celebrates fiction or non-fiction written in the English language, which in the opinion of the judges most successfully represents the spirit and sensibility of Gordon’s literary methods. Previous winners have been David Keenan, Jesse Ball, Denise Mina, David Szalay, Dan Davies, Paul Kingsnorth, and Benjamin Myers.
This year, the prize is being judged by poet, writer, and publisher Anthony Anaxagorou, artist Rachel Howard; columnist, broadcaster, event host, and author Sali Hughes; and writer and teacher Richard T Kelly. This panel has today announced the shortlist for the award and they are
- Jenn Ashworth, Notes Made While Falling.
- Paul Mendez, Rainbow Milk
- Deborah Orr, Motherwell
- Peter Pomerantsev, This Is Not Propaganda
- Lemn Sissay, My Name Is Why
- Lisa Taddeo, Three Women
The winner, to be announced later in the year, receives £5,000 and is offered the use of Burn’s cottage in Berwickshire, UK as a writers’ retreat.
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