Percival Everett’s novel The Trees is on the shortlist of the Dublin International Literary Award 2023 announced on Monday, March 28, 2023.
The Dublin International Literary Award is presented annually for a novel written in English or translated into English to promote excellence in world literature since. The prize worth €100,000 is sponsored by the Dublin City Council, Ireland. If the winning book is a translation the prize is divided between the writer and the translator, with the writer receiving €75,000 and the translator €25,000. African writers like David Diop and Akwaeke Emezi, Scholastique Mukasonga, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Mahi Binebine, and Aminatta Forna and Noviolet Bulawayo, Mia Couto, Chinelo Okparanta, and Yewande Omotoso have been in the running. The prize went to Angolan author José Eduardo Agualusa in 2017.
For 2023, the international panel of judges features Gabriel Gbadamosi who is an Irish and Nigerian poet, playwright and critic based in London; Marie Hermet who is a writer and translator who teaches creative writing and translation at the Université Paris Cité; English writer Sarah Moss who is the author of eight novels and now teaches on the MA and MFA in creative writing at UCD; Doireann Ní Ghríofa who is a bilingual poet, essayist and translator from Co. Clare; and Arunava Sinha who translates fiction, non-fiction and poetry from Bengali to English and from English to Bengali and has won several translation awards in India. The non-voting Chairperson is Professor Chris Morash, the Seamus Heaney Professor of Irish Writing at Trinity College Dublin.
The longlist for the awards were announced on Monday, January 30 before the shortlist was revealed on Monday. Lord Mayor of Dublin, Caroline Conroy said “The titles on this year’s shortlist were nominated by public libraries in Hungary, Germany, Croatia, Mexico and the USA. The beauty of this award is that it highlights authors and readers worldwide while celebrating excellence in contemporary literature. The 2023 winner will be chosen from this fascinating shortlist, which includes four novels in translation, and covers a myriad of topics including the power of books, racially-inspired hate crimes, relationships, ageing, toxic masculinity, the impact of war, and spans many settings and time periods. “
The Trees by Percival Everett which was published by Graywolf Press (US) and Influx Press (UK) is the only book bwriter of African descent still in the running. It was nominated by Free Library of Philadelphia, USA. Watch an extract performed by Loré Adewusi
The 28th winner of the Dublin Literary Award will be announced by its Patron, Lord Mayor Caroline Conroy on Thursday 25th May, as part of International Literature Festival Dublin (ILFD).
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