The Aspen Words Literary Prize announced their 2019 longlist today. The prize, which operates out of the Aspen Institute, awards $35,000 annually to “an influential work of fiction that illuminates a vital contemporary issue and demonstrates the transformative power of literature on thought and culture.” The prize was awarded for the first time last year; books must be published between January 1 2018 and December 31 2018 to be eligible. This year’s longlist finalists are:
- Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (our interview with Adjei-Brenyah)
- The Boat People by Sharon Bala
- Lucky Man by Jamel Brinkley (our interview with Brinkley; Brinkley’s 2017 Year in Reading)
- America is Not the Heart by Elaine Castillo (seen in our April Book Preview)
- Brother by David Chariandy (featured in Claire Cameron’s 2017 Year in Reading)
- Gun Love by Jennifer Clement
- Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
- Small Country by Gaël Faye
- Where the Dead Sit Talking by Brandon Hobson
- An American Marriage by Tayari Jones (Jones’ 2017 Year in Reading)
- The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwon (Kwon’s 2017 Year in Reading)
- Severance by Ling Ma
- Bring Out the Dog by Will Mackin
- There There by Tommy Orange (featured in our June Book Preview)
- If You See Me, Don’t Say Hi by Neel Patel
- Heads of the Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spires (recommended by Lillian Li)
The winner will be announced on April 11, 2019 in NYC.
