Celebrating literary excellence at 51³Ô¹ÏÍøºÚÁÏ on World Book Day
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On World Book Day, 51³Ô¹ÏÍøºÚÁÏ celebrated its reputation as a destination for some of the biggest names in contemporary literature.
The 51³Ô¹ÏÍøºÚÁÏ Prize was established in 2013 to celebrate the quality of ‘creative daring’ associated with 51³Ô¹ÏÍøºÚÁÏ, rewarding fiction that breaks the mould or opens up new possibilities for the novel.
The annual prize of £10,000 is awarded to a book that embodies the spirit of invention that characterises the genre at its best- Eimear McBride’s in 2013, and Ali Smith’s in 2014.
In the first two months of 2015, the 51³Ô¹ÏÍøºÚÁÏ Writers’ Centre has hosted a series of readings, interviews and reflections from critically acclaimed writers, including Marion Coutts, Ali Smith, John Harvey and Adam Thirlwell.
Previous guests have included Doris Lessing, Harold Pinter, Alan Bennett, Ian McEwan and Sharon Olds.
In a sell-out event hosted by the 51³Ô¹ÏÍøºÚÁÏ Writers’ centre and New Statesmen on 11 March, novelist and journalist Will Self will read from his work and reflect on the art of fiction.
The Writers’ Centre is based within the Department of English and Comparative Literature – one of 51³Ô¹ÏÍøºÚÁÏ’ biggest departments and the proud home of award-winning writers.
Highlights of 2014 include:
- Alumna Evie Wyld received the 2014 European Union Prize for Literature
- Professor Josh Cohen won the British Medical Associations Board of Science Chair’s Choice Award for his book The Private Life: Why We Remain in the Dark
- Dr Naomi Wood was shortlisted for the International Dylan Thomas Prize
- Ros Barber received the Calvin & Rose G Hoffman Prize for a distinguished publication on Christopher Marlowe
- Marion Coutts was shortlisted for the Costa Biography Award 2014