Whitehead Wins Orwell Prize for Political Fiction

Colson Whitehead has won the 2020 Orwell Prize for Political Fiction for his book The Nickel Boys (Doubleday). Given by The Orwell Foundation, the prize recognizes “outstanding novels and collections of short stories first published in the UK that illuminate major social and political themes, present or past, through the art of narrative.”

The judges for 2020 were Tom Gatti, Jude Kelly (chair), Sarah Shaffi, and Matthew Sperling. Winners receive £3,000 and “a unique trophy designed and made by students in the design department at Goldsmiths, University of London.”

Winners were announced July 9, 2020 in an online ‘telescreen’ ceremony.

For more information, including the complete winners lists, see The Orwell Prize website.

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