The Commonwealth Writers' Prize,
which recognizes "ground-breaking works of fiction from across the
globe," has named its 2011 regional prize winners. The overall Best Book
and Best First Book choices will be honored at the Sydney Writers'
Festival on May 21. The regional prize winners are:
Africa
Best Book: The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna (Sierra Leone)
Best First Book: Happiness Is a Four-letter Word by Cynthia Jele (South Africa)
Caribbean and Canada
Best Book: Room by Emma Donoghue (Canada)
Best First Book: Bird Eat Bird by Katrina Best (Canada)
South Asia and Europe
Best Book: The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell (U.K.)
Best First Book: Sabra Zoo by Mischa Hiller (U.K.)
South East Asia and Pacific
Best Book: That Deadman Dance by Kim Scott (Australia)
Best First Book: A Man Melting by Craig Cliff (New Zealand)