Riverhead Author Patricia Lockwood Wins 2022 Dylan Thomas Prize
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Patricia Lockwood, Photo © Grep Hoax
This year’s Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize winner is Patricia Lockwood for her debut novel NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT THIS, published by Riverhead in the U.S. She received a £20,000 cash award. The Dylan Thomas Prize is one of the world’s largest literary prizes for young writers and it is awarded to the best literary work published in the English language from authors aged 39 or younger.
Ms. Lockwood, who traveled from America to the UK for the awards ceremony in Swansea but was unable to attend because she had bronchitis, said: “I’m sitting here in my London hotel room on codeine, and I’m over the moon — actually, a little more codeine and I could probably convince myself that Dylan Thomas were here with me … I’d like to say a little bit more in the future about how Dylan Thomas’ writing shaped me, but for now I’d just like to offer my deepest respect and admiration to all the other finalists, and my thanks to the prize and Swansea University for supporting young writers.”
Chair of Judges, Namita Gokhale, said: “NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT THIS is a vital reflection on online culture today. A deeply timely winner, Patricia Lockwood is the voice of a generation of new writers who grew up under the constant pressures of real-time news and social media.
“NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT THIS is a searingly witty and innovative take on modern day internet culture, and the experience of family trauma in the modern world. The book’s flow of consciousness, almost diary-like in quality, is remarkably deft at capturing the psychological impact which simultaneous alienation and ‘group think’ life online has on us as individuals. Lockwood is an astonishing and wholly original new voice. We are delighted that the jury of the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize decided on her debut novel as its choice for the 2022 prize. We cannot wait to see what comes next from this uncompromising talent.”
Our congratulations to Ms. Lockwood, her editor, Paul Slovak, and everyone at Riverhead.