The Dylan Thomas Prize shortlist was announced. I am still only halfway through the novels, so I am going to wait to reflect on that aspect of the shortlist (although I can already say that one of the novels they picked would not have made my cut)!
I had pinpointed three as deserving the shortlist, knowing they probably wouldn't pick three poets, but they agreed with two of my three. Adebe D.A. was excluded, which is a shame, but I'm still following her in Facebook so I can keep up with what she does next. Both Watering Can by Caroline Bird and Clamor by Elyse Fenton made it to the shortlist. I fully expected Caroline Bird to as she seems to have more of an established career than the others on the longlist, including prior nominations, but I was pleased that they had the same experience with the Fenton that I did.
We all still have a lot of time, at least to get through the shortlist, because the winners won't be announced until December 1.
I like the idea behind this prize...the young writers thing. I wonder if this year's shortlist is a backlash against the stereotypical "stuffy white guys" literary world, though.(?) If there's one of the novels you would recommend, I'd like to hear about it...as I need a book recommended by a friend for a reading challenge I'm working on.
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