Emerging Writers Celebrated on 4thWrite Prize Shortlist
London – The 4thWrite prize has unveiled its 2024 shortlist, showcasing a diverse range of new literary talent and “daring, imaginative” storytelling. The prize, established in 2016, champions short-form fiction and aims too elevate underrepresented voices in literature.
This year’s judges – Irenosen Okojie, Jeremy Widyaratna, and Yvonne Carty-Williams – praised the shortlist for its breadth and ambition, noting the stories transported readers to diverse landscapes and emotional depths. “Through these stories we were transported to familiar and foreign lands,and to emotional and spiritual places unknown,” said Carty-williams. Widyaratna added the stories offered “a dizzying, whirlwind tour across borders…and have playfully pushed us to reconsider our understanding of each other.”
The shortlisted authors and their works will be announced at a later date, with the winner receiving £3,000.Last year’s prize was awarded to Yan F Zhang for “Fleeting Marrow,” a story inspired by the deportation of Chinese seafarers after World War II. The 4thWrite Prize is supported by the Authors’ Club and aims to discover and nurture the next generation of fiction writers.