The New Angle Prize for Literature is a biennial award for literature associated with or influenced by the region of East Anglia. It has been running since 2009, previous winners have included Anna Mackmin, Kate Worsley and Jim Kelly. After a pause of four years the award returned for 2023 alongside a new award, the University of Suffolk Creative Suffolk Author Award. Both awards have a main prize of £2,000. The judges have selected their shortlist of six, from which the £2,000 winner will be chosen, with £500 for a runner-up.
On the 24th May a ‘Shortlist Showcase’ event was held at the Ipswich Institute for the six shortlisted authors to introduce their books, chosen by the judges: authors Liz Trenow, Sophie Green and Keith Jones, Chair of the Suffolk Book League. The themes throughout the shortlist are diverse and varied: social breakdown and isolation, folk songs, persecution, time travel and local legends. The judges have chosen three novels; The Bewitching by Jill Dawson, Wivenhoe by Samuel Fisher and The Other Side of the Whale Road by K. A. Hayton; a volume of poetry with Nicola Warwick’s Naming the Land; and two non-fiction works, The Captain’s Apprentice: Ralph Vaughan Williams and the Story of a Folk Song, by Caroline Davison and Shorelines: Voices of Southwold Fishermen by Robert Jellicoe.
The next event will be the Awards Dinner, held at Hintlesham Golf Club on the evening of Thursday 21st of September 2023, where the winners of both awards will be announced. Tickets are on sale now at the Institute for £35 and include a three course meal, drinks on arrival and wine at the table. Transport to and from the venue from Ipswich is also available.
The competition is organised by the Ipswich Institute in partnership with the University of Suffolk and the Suffolk Book League, is kindly sponsored by Scrutton Bland and is an important feature of the region’s literary calendar.
Find our more at www.ipswichinstitute.org.uk and you can follow the prize on Twitter @PrizeNewAngle
More about the 2023 New Angle Prize shortlist, with judges’ comments:
Caroline Davison, The Captain's Apprentice: Ralph Vaughan Williams and the Story of a Folk Song (Chatto & Windus: Aug 2022). ‘A beautifully written exploration of the world of Edwardian folk music, and its influence on the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams.’
Jill Dawson, The Bewitching (Sceptre: Jul 2022). ‘A powerful, slow burning tale of Fenland witchery told through strong voices and engaging, atmospheric writing.’
Samuel Fisher, Wivenhoe (Little Brown: Feb 2022). ‘This atmospheric tale of a climate-induced catastrophe overwhelming a small community is unforgettable, raising ultimate questions of memory, community and humanity.’
K. A. Hayton, The Other Side of the Whale Road (Lightning Books: Aug 2021). ‘Young adult fiction at its best, with a pacey, compelling plot and a convincing contemporary teenage protagonist finding himself at war in Saxon Suffolk.’
Robert Jellicoe, Shorelines: Voices of Southwold Fishermen (Black Dog Books: Oct 2021). ‘A once major industry and a distinctive way of life are brought vividly before us through the original words and images gathered in this deeply researched book.’
Nicola Warwick, Naming the Land (Maytree Press: Aug 2021). ‘An impressive collection of poems, rich in the landscape, history and folklore of East Anglia.’
Jo Rook
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