Shortlist for Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize announced

Gosia Buzzanca

The shortlist for the world’s largest and most prestigious literary prize for young writers – the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize – has been announced today.

It features six extraordinary, emerging voices, whose writing explores love and beauty, society and gender – with a distinct focus on coming of age stories.

Comprising four novels and two poetry collections, the shortlist is:

– To Rest Our Minds and Bodies by Harriet Armstrong – novel
– We Pretty Pieces of Flesh by Colwill Brown – novel
– Joy is My Middle Name by Sasha Debevec-McKenney – poetry
– Under the Blue by Suzannah V. Evans – poetry
– Open, Heaven by Seán Hewitt – novel
– Borderline Fiction by Derek Owusu – novel

Irenosen Okojie MBE, Chair of Judges, said: “This is a marvellous, galvanising shortlist. We’re thrilled by the scope, breadth and depth of these works across forms.

“These books have profound things to say about the ways we live, what it means to be human and overall are propulsive reads that imbue the writing space with new energies.”

Speaking exclusively to Nation Cymru, Elaine Canning, Director of the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize, said: “We are thrilled to share our wonderful shortlist for 2026. These six beautiful works spotlight humanity in its myriad forms with breathtaking originality in voice and tone.

“Warmest congratulations to all six shortlisted writers and we look forward to welcoming them to our London and Swansea celebrations in May.”

The two poetry collections on the shortlist are both by debut writers: American poet Sasha Debevec-McKenney, who draws on sex, race, addiction, and pop culture in Joy is My Middle Name (Fitzcarraldo Editions); and Bristol-based Suzannah V. Evans, with her poetry collection Under the Blue (Bloomsbury Poetry), a deeply candid exploration of both the shimmering beauty of life and the realities of care.

Two out of the six shortlisted authors have previously been nominated for the award. British-Irish author Seán Hewitt, nominated in 2025, has been chosen again for his heart-breaking novel Open, Heaven (Jonathan Cape), an exhilarating story of hidden desire on the cusp of adulthood.

Meanwhile, 2023 prize nominee Derek Owusu is shortlisted for his contemporary tale Borderline Fiction (Canongate), a close-up, sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes funny examination of what it means to be a young black man navigating today’s world.

Coming of age is a big theme throughout all four shortlisted novels: Harriet Armstrong, the youngest shortlisted author at just 25, is in the running with To Rest Our Minds and Bodies (Les Fugitives), her first novel which confronts thorny gender relations, consent, and unravelling mental health within Gen Z.

Finally, Colwill Brown is also recognised for her debut novel, We Pretty Pieces of Flesh (Chatto & Windus), which takes you by the hand and leads you through Doncaster’s schoolyards, alleyways and nightclubs in the early noughties.

The shortlisted titles were selected by a judging panel chaired by Irenosen Okojie MBE, award-winning Nigerian British author of Curandera, Butterfly Fish, Speak Gigantular and Nudibranch, and former Women’s Prize for Fiction judge, who is joined by Joe Dunthorne, award-winning Swansea-born poet and novelist; Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe, poet, pacifist and fabulist; Prajwal Parajuly, multi-award nominated author of The Gurkha’s Daughter and Land Where I Flee; Eley Williams, acclaimed author and Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

The British Library will host a shortlist celebratory event on Wednesday 13 May with the winner announced during a ceremony in Swansea on Thursday 14 May, marking International Dylan Thomas Day.

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 the 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.

Last year’s prize was awarded to Palestinian writer Yasmin Zaher for her novel The Coin, and previous winners include Caleb Azumah Nelson, Arinze Ifeakandu, Patricia Lockwood, Max Porter, Raven Leilani, Bryan Washington, Fiona McFarlane, and Kayo Chingonyi.