Good Reads

Aspen Words Announces Five Finalists for Inaugural Literary Prize

One of the country's most lucrative author awards honors fiction with social impact.

By Barbara Platts March 5, 2018

"Sing, Unburied, Sing," by Jesmyn Ward

Ward’s heart-wrenching novel relates the story of a young black boy in Mississippi forced to grow up quickly when he has to take care of his younger sister. This revelatory work details the turmoil of one family's history, the pains of growing up, and the lasting effects of racism.

"What It Means When a Man Falls from The Sky," by Lesley Nneka Arimah

This debut collection of short stories are set in Nigeria, the author's home country, and the US, her country of residence. With rare and stunning beauty, Arimah spins tales that feature female protagonists persevering to overcome big life challenges.

"Exit West," by Mohsin Hamid

Through a love story that takes place in a distant unnamed city, Hamid highlights the contemporary refugee crisis while considering how a person’s geographic location ends up shaping his or her destiny. His exploration of humanity and our potential to do better raises questions that affect all of us.

"Mad Country," by Samrat Upadhyay

From journalists targeted by the government in Kathmandu and a Nepalese man who ends up in the middle of protests in Ferguson, Missouri, to a powerful career woman who becomes a political prisoner, this collection of short stories, tinged with humor and keenly observed, show that we are all much more connected than we may think.

"What We Lose," by Zinzi Clemmons

In this debut novel, a young woman grieves the passing of her South African–born mother. Clemmons tells an emotionally impactful and deeply intelligent story that touches on loss, identity, race, class, gender, and the effects of post-apartheid in South Africa.

The finalists for the first-ever Aspen Words Literary Prize were announced Monday morning and include three novels and two short story collections. The finalists are Lesley Nneka Arimah, Zinzi Clemmons, Mohsin Hamid, Samrat Upadhyay, and Jesmyn Ward. Armiah and Clemmons are debut authors.

To be eligible for the prize, works of fiction had to be short stories or novels that address violence, inequality, the environment, immigration, religion, race, or other social issues. The works also had to be published in English in the US. Finalists were selected by a five-member jury consisting of Stephen Carter, an Aspen Institute trustee, New York Times-bestselling novelist, and law professor at Yale; Jessica Fullerton, a librarian and longtime participant in Aspen Words programs; Phil Klay, a Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War and author of the 2014 National Book Award-winning short story collection Redeployment; Alondra Nelson, dean of social science at Columbia University and author of The Social Life of DNA: Race, Reparations, and Reconciliation after the Genome; and Akhil Sharma, author of the PEN/Hemingway Award–winning novel An Obedient Father and the 2015 Folio Prize–winning novel Family Life.

The recipient of the award—presented by Aspen Words, a program of the Aspen Institute, in collaboration with NPR Books—will receive $35,000, one of the largest prizes in the literary world for a work of fiction. Along with the cash prize, the winning author will receive a trophy designed by sculptor Michael Lorsung of the Anderson Ranch Arts Center and be the featured guest at the Aspen Summer Words benefit dinner on June 19 at the Hotel Jerome.

The winner will be announced on April 10 at an awards ceremony at the Morgan Library in New York City. All five finalists will join a discussion with Michel Martin, weekend host of NPR’s “All Things Considered.” The host of NPR’s “Pop Culture Happy Hour,” Linda Holmes, will emcee the awards ceremony. Tickets available at aspenwords.org.

Aspen Words, NPR, Aspen Institute