Bryan Washington won the £30,000 (about $38,160) International Dylan Thomas Prize for his debut short story collection, Lot, the Bookseller reported. Sponsored by Swansea University, the award recognizes the "best published literary work in the English language, written by an author aged 39 or under."
Chair of the judges Dai Smith said Washington’s collection "does what all great fiction does, finds a style that can open up a world that is otherwise unknowable and he does it with wit and grace. It is a real voice, unique, unforgettable, generous, and warm and one which provides us with a sense of community and the full experience of life. As one of the judges said he has a country and western kickass voice."
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Pemi Aguda won the £10,000 (about $12,435) Deborah Rogers Foundation Writers Award for her "gripping" work of fiction, The Suicide Mothers. The prize, founded in 2015 as a tribute to the late literary agent Deborah Rogers, honors "a first-time writer whose submission demonstrates outstanding literary talent and who needs financial support to complete their work."
Chair of the judges Ian Rankin said: "This novel begins with a real wow moment and sustains momentum as it draws us into a world that is utterly contemporary yet has room for the mythic and the supernatural. The politics of Lagos, environmental concerns and the coming of age of the young and pregnant protagonist make for a wonderfully kinetic and gripping story."
Stephen Buoro finished in second place for The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa, and in third was S. Bhattacharya-Woodward for Zolo and Other Stories. Each author receives £1,000 (about $1,245).