Literature offers insights into different lives and encourages dialogue and reflection. To encourage and reward the upsurge of contemporary fiction from Commonwealth countries and ensure that works of merit reach a wider audience outside their countries of origin, the Commonwealth Foundation established the Commonwealth Writers' Prize in 1987. Almost 200 books have now been recognised with prizes since the scheme began.
The Prize aims to discover and promote up and coming and under-recognised writers, encourage dialogue and understanding of different cultures through reading, and share compelling stories of human experience.
The Prize is fully international in its character, administration and judging. Each year prizes for Best Book and Best First Book are awarded in four regions: Africa, Caribbean and Canada, South Asia and Europe and South East Asia and Pacific. The eight winners are selected by judging panels in the regions. They each win £1,000. The eight then compete for the pan-Commonwealth Best Book and Best First Book prizes. The overall winners receive £5,000 for Best First Book and £10,000 for Best Book at a public programme that brings together winners and judges in a different Commonwealth country each year.
The Commonwealth Writers' Prize is supported by the Macquarie Group Foundation, one of Australia's leading philanthropic foundations. It is the philanthropic arm of Macquarie Group Limited, which is a global provider of banking, financial, advisory, investment and funds management services.
The Chair of the Prize is Hon Justice Nicholas Hasluck AM, a supreme court judge in Australia and award-winning author.
The winners of the 2010 prize were Rana Dasgupta with Best Book for Solo, and Glenda Guest with Best First Book for Siddon Rock.