2006 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize to be Announced in Melbourne
27 October 2005
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| The 2005 winner of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best Book was Andrea Levy's 'Small Island' |
The winners of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize (CWP) 2006 will be announced in Melbourne, Australia, on 14 March 2006.
The Commonwealth Foundation, sponsor of this annual literary award, stated that Melbourne has been chosen for the final judging of the next CWP to coincide with the Commonwealth Games.
The Foundation's Director, Dr Mark Collins, said the CWP awards ceremony in Australia, which is being supported by the Office of the Commonwealth Games 2006 and the State Library of Victoria, will be a double celebration.
"The 2006 Commonwealth Writers' Prize marks the 20th prize programme, and holding the awards presentation in Melbourne in conjunction with the Commonwealth Games adds to the celebratory mood, with the people of the Commonwealth gathering together in a spirit of friendship and harmony. Both these events celebrate the vitality and dynamism of the Commonwealth in the literary and sporting arenas as we salute the champions for excellence in their achievements," stated Dr Collins.
The pan-Commonwealth panel of judges is chaired by Emeritus Professor Chris Wallace-Crabbe of the University of Melbourne. Its other members are: Professor Mary Kolawole, Department of English, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, for the Africa region; Professor Angela Smith, Department of English Studies, University of Stirling, Scotland, for the Eurasia region; Professor Aritha van Herk, Department of English, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, for the Caribbean and Canada; and Professor Vijay Mishra, Department of English, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia, for South-East Asia and the South Pacific.
Professor Mishra, who is judging the CWP for the second year, said: "It is an immensely satisfying experience, especially with books submitted for the 'first novel' category. Here, we get to read writers who have often turned out to be, in due course, major talents."
The Commonwealth Writers' Prize was established in 1987 to encourage and reward the growth of new Commonwealth fiction, and to promote works of merit to a wider audience outside their country of origin. The CWP recognises the outstanding literary talent in the Commonwealth and its contribution to contemporary writing in English. It is open to all novels and collections of short stories written in English by a Commonwealth citizen and published in 2005.
Every year, prizes worth £1,000 are given for the Best Book and Best First Book categories in each of the four Commonwealth regions: Africa; the Caribbean and Canada; Eurasia; and South-East Asia and the South Pacific. From these regional winners, the overall winners for the Best Book and Best First Book prizes are chosen. The overall winner for Best Book is awarded £10,000, and for the Best First Book, £3,000. The 2006 regional winners will be announced on 1 February 2006, and the eight winning authors will be invited to attend the awards ceremony in Melbourne.
The 2005 winners were Andrea Levy's 'Small Island' for Best Book, and Chimamanda Adichie's 'Purple Hibiscus' for Best First Book.
For more information on entry requirements, visit the website www.commonwealthwriters.com.
CNIS - Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 258, 26 October 2005
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