The winners of the 2011 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize have been announced today (21 May) in Sydney.
They are Aminatta Forna - Best Book for The Memory of Love and Craig Cliff - Best First Book - for A Man Melting
The results were announced at The Sydney Writers' Festival. For the full story click here.
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About the winners
Aminatta Forna (Best Book: The Memory of Love)
Aminatta was born in Glasgow and raised in West Africa. Her first book, The Devil that Danced on the Water, was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize 2003. Her novel Ancestor Stones was winner of the 2008 Hurston Wright Legacy Award, the Literaturpreis in Germany, was nominated for the International IMPAC Award and selected by the Washington Post as one of the most important books of 2006. In 2007 Vanity Fair named Aminatta as one of Africa’s most promising new writers. Aminatta has also written for magazines and newspapers, radio and television, and presented television documentaries on Africa’s history and art. Aminatta Forna lives in London with her husband. Aminatta says, “I’m delighted to be a winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. One of the reasons I began to write was to reflect a different way of seeing. I think the CWP is a great example of introducing new audiences to fresh voices.” The Memory of Love is shortlisted for the Orange Prize to be announced on June 8th.
To visit Aminatta's author page at Bloomsbury Publishing click here
Craig Cliff (Best First Book: A Man Melting)
Craig Cliff was born in Palmerston North, New Zealand in 1983. A graduate of Victoria University’s MA in creative writing, his short stories and poetry have been published in New Zealand and Australia. His short story 'Another Language' won the novice section of the 2007 BNZ Katherine Mansfield Awards. In Another Language Cliff explores a young narrator’s connection to his Serbian grandfather, his friendship with a Maori boy and the act of stuttering.
His first published collection of short stories, A Man Melting, gathers together his prize-winning and published short stories, as well as some new works. These 18 stories examine all of the big questions of life - birth, infancy, adolescence, violence, parenthood, death. The characters in these stories look for ways to reconnect with people and the world around them whilst Cliff examines complex issues such as alienation and belonging. Both The Listener and Sunday Star Times have included A Man Melting within their best books of 2010.
Craig Cliff lives in Wellington, New Zealand and works for the government.
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Six of the eight nominated writers travelled to Sydney to do a week of community events which included visits to local schools, a prison and community radio stations. They also appeared as part of the main festival to take part in readings, discussions, and performances. Meanwhile, the Pan-Commonwealth judging panel was also in Sydney where the judges met to decide the winners of the Best Book and Best First Book award. The final announcement of the winners was made by Julie White, Global Head, Macquarie Group Foundation, which supports the prize, at Sydney Theatre on May 21 and the prize was presented by Ms Quentin Bryce, Governor General of Australia.
The regional prize winners are:
Africa:
Best Book: The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna (Sierra Leone)
Best First Book: Happiness is a four-letter word by Cynthia Jele (South Africa)
Caribbean and Canada:
Best Book: Room by Emma Donoghue (Canada)
Best First Book: Bird Eat Bird by Katrina Best (Canada)
South Asia and Europe:
Best Book: The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell (UK)
Best First Book: Sabra Zoo by Mischa Hiller (UK)
South East Asia and Pacific:
Best Book: That Deadman Dance by Kim Scott (Australia)
Best First Book: A Man Melting by Craig Cliff (New Zealand)