Prestigious Dylan Thomas Prize shortlist revealed

The shortlist for the world’s largest and most prestigious literary prize for young writers – the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize – is announced today featuring six extraordinary, emerging voices, including three debuts, exploring themes including identity, gender, grief and sexuality.

Worth £20,000, this global accolade recognises exceptional literary talent aged 39 or under, celebrating the international world of fiction in all its forms including poetry, novels, short stories and drama.

The prize is named after Swansea-born writer Dylan Thomas and celebrates his 39 years of creativity and productivity.

The prize invokes his memory to support the writers of today, nurture the talents of tomorrow, and celebrate international literary excellence.

Shortlist

Comprising four novels, alongside a short story collection and poetry collection, the shortlist is:

– Rapture’s Road by Seán Hewitt (Jonathon Cape, Vintage, Penguin Random House) – poetry collection (UK/Ireland)

– Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon (Fig Tree, Penguin Random House) – novel (Ireland)

– The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden (Viking, Penguin Random House UK) – novel (The Netherlands)

– I Will Crash by Rebecca Watson (Faber & Faber) – novel (UK)

– Moderate to Poor, Occasionally Good by Eley Williams (4th Estate) – short story collection (UK)

– The Coin by Yasmin Zaher (Footnote Press) – novel (Palestine)

“Compelling”

Namita Gokhale, Chair of Judges, said: “The range and depth of this year’s vibrant longlist made for compelling reading. It was truly a challenge for the jury to hone in on the final shortlist.

“The Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize celebrates immensely talented writers, all below the age of forty, writing in a range of literary forms.

“The 2025 shortlist is varied and diverse: from ancient Sicily to tremulous nightwoods, it encompasses the historical, the contemporary, and the timeless through novels, short stories and poetry, showcasing startlingly fresh writing, style and energy.”

Of the four novels on this year’s longlist, three are from astonishing debut authors making a mark on the literary world with their first outings: Palestine’s Yasmin Zaher draws on personal experiences to dissect nature and civilisation, beauty and justice, class and belonging in a vivid exploration of identity and heritage in The Coin; with fierce, hilarious and profound writing, Ireland’s Ferdia Lennon takes the reader on a journey through time to Sicily in 412BC in his highly acclaimed Glorious Exploits; and the Netherlands’ Yale van der Wouden brings domestic drama to the Dutch countryside during the summer of 1961, with a powerful exploration of the legacy of WWII in The Safekeep.

Completing the set of novels on the shortlist is the UK’s Rebecca Watson with I Will Crash, through which – with stunning use of experimental form and language – she shares a haunting story of family trauma and memory.

Other forms are also celebrated on the shortlist including short story writer, Granta Best Young British Novelist Eley Williams, who is recognised for her new collection Moderate to Poor, Occasionally Good, praised for its originality, subtlety and attention to detail, and capturing the inner workings of the mind.

Meanwhile Seán Hewitt is recognised for poetry collection Rapture’s Road, which explores the reciprocal relationship between queer sexuality and the natural world through a journey into the hypnotic ‘nightwoods’, full of daring imagery and exquisitely controlled form.

Judges’ reactions

Namita Gokhale on Rapture’s Road by Seán Hewitt: “In Rapture’s Road, Sean Hewitt’s moving work spoke to me through the sure tread of the verses and their tremulous shadows. This is poetry that believes in beauty and the power of words. These luminous nightscapes , haunted by love and loss, carry the assurance of rigorous craft.”

Max Liu on Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon: “Ferdia Lennon’s first novel signals the arrival of an assured and ambitious voice in contemporary fiction. By combining an ancient setting with a contemporary idiom, he puts a fresh spin on the historical novel, telling his characters’ story with ceaseless energy and inventiveness. The judges agreed that it is funny, moving and delivers a message about the importance of art that could not be more timely.”

Mary Jean Chan on The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden: “The Safekeep is a meticulously plotted debut which manages to hold its final plot twist at bay until the true reason for Eva’s presence in Isabel’s life is finally revealed. This is a historical novel which feels urgent and contemporary in terms of its central concerns about power, autonomy and desire. Van der Wouden’s writing is deeply evocative, perceptive and beautifully precise.”

Jan Carson on I Will Crash by Rebecca Watson: “I Will Crash is a startling piece of writing which takes a fresh and oftentimes disarming look at the age old themes of trauma, grief and familial discord. Watson’s masterful use of form and white space creates an immersive reading experience which invites the reader deep into the unsettling heart of the story. We were particularly taken with the unique style of this book.”

Professor Daniel Williams on Moderate to Poor, Occasionally Good by Eley Williams: “I was intrigued by the diversity and imaginative range of the stories collected in Moderate to Poor, Occasionally Good. Whether describing a courtroom artist on a blind date, a broadcaster meditating on the accidents of life while reading the shipping forecast, or a child’s response to a serious domestic accident, Eley Williams takes an exuberant delight in the unexpected, comic and sometimes disturbing ways in which words can convey – and withhold – meaning.”

Jan Carson on The Coin by Yasmin Zaher: “The Coin defied all our expectations. From the first page, we were captivated by Zaher’s oddly obsessive, occasionally infuriating and always intriguing protagonist. We especially loved Zaher’s elegantly concise writing and her ability to surprise us with a plot which feels at one time utterly believable and simultaneously gloriously unhinged.”

The shortlist titles were selected by a judging panel chaired by Namita Gokhale, the multi-award-winning Indian writer of more than twenty-five works of fiction and non-fiction (Paro: Dreams of Passion, Things to Leave Behind) as well as the co-director of the famed Jaipur Literature Festival, along with: Professor Daniel Williams, Director of the Richard Burton Centre for the Study of Wales and Co-Director of the Centre for Research into the English Literature and Language of Wales at Swansea University; Jan Carson, award-winning novelist and writer (The Fire Starters, The Raptures); Mary Jean Chan, winner of the Costa Book Award and former Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize shortlistee (Flèche, Bright Fear); and Max Liu, literary critic and contributor to the Financial Times, the i and BBC Radio 4.

The British Library will host a shortlist celebratory event on Wednesday 14 May (International Dylan Thomas Day) with the winner announced during a ceremony in Swansea on Thursday 15 May.

Previous winners include Caleb Azumah Nelson, Arinze Ifeakandu, Patricia Lockwood, Max Porter, Raven Leilani, Bryan Washington, Guy Gunaratne, and Kayo Chingonyi.