American poet wins Dylan Thomas Prize

American poet Sasha Debevec-McKenney has been announced as the winner of the 2026 Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize, the world’s largest and most prestigious literary award for young writers.

Debevec-McKenney won the £20,000 prize for her debut poetry collection Joy Is My Middle Name, which judges praised as an “exuberant” and “blistering” work exploring race, womanhood, addiction, sobriety, sex, consumerism and pop culture.

The award was presented at a ceremony in Swansea on International Dylan Thomas Day.

The prize is open to writers aged 39 and under in recognition of the amount Thomas achieved before his death at the age of 39 in 1953.

This year’s judging panel unanimously selected Joy Is My Middle Name, praising its emotional intensity and originality.

Chair of judges Irenosen Okojie said: “Incredible. An exuberant, blistering collection full of life, humour and ideas. Debevec-McKenney is a ferociously gifted talent.

“The book is remarkable in the way it galvanises the reader with a sense of intimacy that is authentic and a voice that feels like an antidote to our tricky times.”

Speaking after receiving the award, Debevec-McKenney said: “I really love writing poems, it makes life worth living.

“Every emotion I’ve ever had, there’s a poem for it. To get this prize feels completely unbelievable. I’m really honoured.”

Published by Fitzcarraldo Editions, Joy Is My Middle Name was released in paperback in July 2025.

The prize celebrates literary excellence across poetry, novels, short stories and drama, and previous winners include Max Porter, Patricia Lockwood, Raven Leilani and Caleb Azumah Nelson.

The other shortlisted titles for the 2026 prize were To Rest Our Minds and Bodies by Harriet Armstrong, We Pretty Pieces of Flesh by Colwill Brown, Under the Blue by Suzannah V. Evans, Open, Heaven by Seán Hewitt and Borderline Fiction by Derek Owusu.

This year’s judging panel also included novelist and poet Joe Dunthorne, author Prajwal Parajuly, poet Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe and writer Eley Williams.