In an nice home country twist, Welsh writer Rachel Trezise has won the
first EDS Dylan Thomas Prize for her collection of short stories, Fresh
Apples (Parthian, $18.95, 1902638573), which the judges described as
dealing "with the troubled times for the once vibrant coal valleys of
South Wales and for the area's youngsters." The $100,000 prize is
awarded biennially to writers in English under 30.
At an awards dinner in Dylan Thomas's hometown of Swansea in Wales, judges chair Andrew Davies commented: "For all the judges, Rachel seemed to be the most original voice. The confidence, coolness and maturity of tone in Fresh Apples is exceptional. In fact, I would go as far as to say that her collection of short stories in Fresh Apples can be easily compared to James Joyce's Dubliners. Rachel is an extremely talented author and we wish her all the best in what we are sure will be a long and successful literary career."
The award was presented by Aeronwy Thomas, Dylan Thomas's daughter.
At an awards dinner in Dylan Thomas's hometown of Swansea in Wales, judges chair Andrew Davies commented: "For all the judges, Rachel seemed to be the most original voice. The confidence, coolness and maturity of tone in Fresh Apples is exceptional. In fact, I would go as far as to say that her collection of short stories in Fresh Apples can be easily compared to James Joyce's Dubliners. Rachel is an extremely talented author and we wish her all the best in what we are sure will be a long and successful literary career."
The award was presented by Aeronwy Thomas, Dylan Thomas's daughter.