Rana Dasgupta wins Commonwealth Writers’ Prize
Controversial novelist Rana Dasgupta has won this year’s Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for his epic book Solo.
The 38-year-old British-Indian writer was commended by judges, who claimed his work was brimming with ‘edginess’.
Solo tells the story of a 100-year-old man from Bulgaria, who recounts his life and the political and emotional turmoil it has provided.
Another winner was Australian writer Glenda Guest, who landed the prize for best first book with her debut Siddon Rock.
Mark Collins, head of the Commonwealth Foundation, which is behind the prize, said: ‘The two books chosen by the judges are ones that take us on unexpected journeys and challenge our conventional assumptions.’
Chair of the judging panel Nicholas Hasluck added: ‘The winning books are groundbreaking in taking readers outside their usual comfort zone.’
Last year’s best first book winner was Mohammed Hanif with A Case of Exploding Mangoes, while Christos Tsiolkas won the best book accolade with The Slap.