James Tait Black Memorial Prize 2024 Shortlist
The James Tait Black Memorial Prize has announced the shortlist for its 2024 edition. The prestigious award, one of Britain’s oldest book awards, features a diverse selection of works in both fiction and biography categories.
Fiction Shortlist
- Amy Arnold’s “Lori & Joe” – A poignant exploration of a woman’s reflections on a complex relationship over the course of a day.
- Henry Hoke’s “Open Throat” – Immerses readers in the perspective of a mountain lion contemplating the effects of climate change from its habitat beneath the Hollywood sign.
- Noel O’Regan’s “Though The Bodies Fall” – Follows an Irishman’s determination to carry on his mother’s legacy of altruism.
- Alexis Wright’s “Praiseworthy” – Set in a fictional Aboriginal Australian town grappling with a looming climate crisis.
Biography Shortlist
- Fernanda Melchor’s “This Is Not Miami” (translated by Sophie Hughes)
- Iman Mersal’s “Traces Of Enayat” (translated by Robin Moger)
- Ian Penman’s “Fassbinder Thousands Of Mirrors”
- Christina Sharpe’s “Ordinary Notes”
- Anne Truitt’s “Always Reaching: The Selected Writings Of Anne Truitt”
- Ann Wroe’s “Lifescapes”
The winners in each category will be awarded a £10,000 prize.
This year’s works delve into themes of grief, identity, environmental concerns, gender, race, and the art of capturing lives on paper.
The judging panel, consisting of scholars and literary students, will evaluate the shortlisted works, with the winners set to be revealed in May.
Dr. Benjamin Bateman, one of the fiction judges from the University of Edinburgh, highlighted the diverse perspectives on memory and interconnectedness portrayed in the nominated novels.
Dr. Simon Cooke, a biography judge also from the University of Edinburgh, praised the kaleidoscopic and daring nature of the life-writings, emphasizing their exploration of loss and the profound gestures towards the lives depicted within.