2010 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize: Regional Shortlists

THOSE SHORTLISTED for Best Book include Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Peter Carey, Amit Chaudhuri, J.M. Coetzee, Michael Crummey, Rana Dasgupta, Charlotte Grimshaw, Aamer Hussein, Nada Awar Jarrar, Thomas Keneally, Annabel Lyon, Anne Michaels, Lisa Moore, Daniyal Mueenuddin, amongst others. Those shortlisted for Best First Book include Chandrahas Choudhury, Francesca Kay, Shandi Mitchell, Daniyal Mueenuddin, Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani, Nii Ayikwei Parkes, Evie Wyld, amongst others.

Here’s the complete list of books shortlisted for the 2010 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize:

Caribbean and Canada
Best Book
1. Galore / Michael Crummey (Canada)
2. Euphoria / Connie Gault (Canada)
3. The Golden Mean / Annabel Lyon (Canada)
4. The Winter Vault / Anne Michaels (Canada)
5. February / Lisa Moore (Canada)
6. Goya’s Dog / Damian Tarnopolsky (Canada)

Best First Book
1. Amphibian / Carla Gunn (Canada)
2. Under This Unbroken Sky / Shandi Mitchell (Canada)
3. The Island Quintet: Five Stories / Raymond Ramchartiar (Trinidad)
4. Diary of Interrupted Days / Dragan Todorovic (Canada)
5. The Briss / Michael Tregebov (Canada)
6. Daniel O’Thunder / Ian Weir (Canada)

Africa
Best Book
1. The Thing Around Your Neck / Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nigeria)
2. Kings of the Water / Mark Behr (South Africa)
3. Refuge / Andrew Brown (South Africa)
4. Trespass / Dawn Garisch (South Africa)
5. Tsamma Season / Rosemund Handler (South Africa)
6. The Double Crown / Marié Heese (South Africa)
7. Eyo / Abidemi Sanusi (Nigeria)

Best First Book
1. Harmattan Rain / Aysha Harunna Attah (Ghana)
2. Jelly Dog Days / Erica Emdon (South Africa)
3. Sleepers Wake / Alistair Morgan (South Africa)
4. Come Sunday / Isla Morley (South Africa)
5. I Do Not Come to You by Chance / Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani (Nigeria)
6. The Shadow of a Smile / Kachi Ozumba (Nigeria)
7. The Shape of Him / Gill Schierhout (South Africa)

South Asia and Europe
Best Book
1. Heartland / Anthony Cartwright (Britain)
2. The Immortals / Amit Chaudhuri (India)
3. For Pepper and Christ / Keki Daruwalla (India)
4. Solo / Rana Dasgupta (Britain)
5. Another Gulmohar Tree / Aamer Hussein (Pakistan)
6. The Beijing of Possibilities / Jonathan Tel (Britain)

Best First Book
1. The Hungry Ghosts / Anne Berry (Britain)
2. Arzee the Dwarf / Chandrahas Choudhury (India)
3. An Equal Stillness / Francesca Kay (Britain)
4. In Other Rooms, Other Wonders / Daniyal Mueenuddin (Pakistan)
5. Among Thieves / Mez Packer (Britain)
6. Tail of the Blue Bird / Nii Ayikwei Parkes (Britain)

Southeast Asia and Pacific
Best Book
1. Parrot and Oliver in America / Peter Carey (Australia)
2. Summertime / J.M. Coetzee (Australia)
3. Singularity / Charlotte Grimshaw (New Zealand)
4. A Good Land / Nada Awar Jarrar (Australia)
5. The People’s Train / Thomas Keneally (Australia)
6. The Adventures of Vela / Albert Wendt (Samoa)

Best First Book
1. Siddon Rock / Glenda Guest (Australia)
2. Look Who’s Morphing / Tom Cho (Australia)
3. Document Z / Andrew Croome (Australia)
4. Come Inside / Glenys Osborne (Australia)
5. The Ice Age / Kirsten Reed (Australia)
6. After the Fire, a Still Small Voice / Evie Wyld (Australia)

The regional winners will be announced on April 7, 2010, while the overall winners will be announced in Delhi, India, on April 12, 2010.