Neustadt International Prize for Literature
The Neustadt International Prize for Literature is a biennial award for literature sponsored by the University of Oklahoma and its international literary publication, World Literature Today.[1] It is considered one of the more prestigious international literary prizes, often compared with the Nobel Prize in Literature. The New York Times called the prize “The Oklahoma Nobel” in 1982[2] and the prize is sometimes referred to as the “American Nobel”.[3][4] Since it was founded in 1970, some 30 of its laureates, candidates, or jurors have also been awarded Nobel Prizes.[5][6][7][8] Like the Nobel, it is awarded to individuals for their entire body of work, not for a single one.
| Neustadt International Prize for Literature | |
|---|---|
 The Neustadt Prize Feather | |
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | University of Oklahoma, World Literature Today |
| Reward(s) | $50,000 |
| First awarded | 1970 |
| Website | www.neustadtprize.org |
History
The Neustadt International Prize for Literature was established as the Books Abroad International Prize for Literature in 1969 by Ivar Ivask, editor of Books Abroad. It was subsequently renamed the Books Abroad/Neustadt Prize, and the award assumed its present name in 1976. It is the first international literary award of this scope to originate in the United States and is one of the very few international prizes for which poets, novelists, and playwrights are equally eligible.[7]
Award
The Prize is a silver eagle feather, a certificate, and $50,000 USD. The award was endowed by Walter and Doris Neustadt[9] of Ardmore, Oklahoma to ensure the award in perpetuity.[10]
The charter of the Neustadt Prize stipulates that the award be given in recognition of outstanding achievement in poetry, fiction, or drama and that it be conferred solely on the basis of literary merit. Any living author writing in any language is eligible, provided only that at least a representative portion of his or her work is available in English, the language used during the jury deliberations. The prize may serve to crown a lifetime's achievement or to direct attention to an important body of work that is still developing. The prize is not open to application.[11]
Selection
Candidates are selected by a jury of at least seven members. Selection is not limited by geographic area, language or genre.
The Neustadt International Prize for Literature is the only international literary award of this scope developed in the United States. It is one of few international prizes for which poets, novelists and playwrights alike are equally eligible.
Neustadt Laureates
Source:[12]
| Year | Picture | Name | Country | Language(s) | Genre(s) | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | .jpg.webp) |
Giuseppe Ungaretti (1888–1970) |
 Italy |
Italian | poetry, literary criticism, essay | |
| 1972 | .jpg.webp) |
Gabriel García Márquez (1927–2017) |
 Colombia |
Spanish | novel, short story, autobiography, screenplay | |
| 1974 | Francis Ponge (1899–1988) |
 France |
French | poetry, essay | ||
| 1976 |  |
Elizabeth Bishop (1911–1979) |
 United States |
English | poetry, short story | |
| 1978 |  |
Czesław Miłosz (1911–2004) |
 Poland |
Polish | poetry, essay | |
| 1980 |  |
Josef Škvorecký (1924–2012) |
 Czechoslovakia/.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Canada |
Czech | novel, short story, essay | |
| 1982 |  |
Octavio Paz (1914–1998) |
 Mexico |
Spanish | poetry, essay | |
| 1984 |  |
Paavo Haavikko (1931–2008) |
 Finland |
Finnish | poetry, drama, essay | |
| 1986 |  |
Max Frisch (1911–1991) |
 Switzerland |
German | novel, drama, philosophy | |
| 1988 | Raja Rao (1906–2006) |
 India/ United States |
English | novel, short story, essay | ||
| 1990 |  |
Tomas Tranströmer (1931–2015) |
 Sweden |
Swedish | poetry, translation | |
| 1992 | João Cabral de Melo Neto (1920–1999) |
 Brazil |
Portuguese | poetry, autobioraphy | ||
| 1994 |  |
Edward Kamau Brathwaite (1930–2020) |
 Barbados |
English | poetry, essay | |
| 1996 |  |
Assia Djebar (1936–2015) |
 Algeria/ France |
French | novel, essay, translation | [13] |
| 1998 |  |
Nuruddin Farah (1945) |
 Somalia |
English | novel, short story, drama, essay, autobiography | |
| 2000 |  |
David Malouf (b. 1934) |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Australia |
English | novel, short story, poetry, drama, memoirs | |
| 2002 |  |
Álvaro Mutis (1923–2013) |
Colombia |
Spanish | novel, poetry, essay | [14] |
| 2004 |  |
Adam Zagajewski (b. 1945) |
Poland |
Polish | novel, poetry, essay, translation | [15][16] |
| 2006 |  |
Claribel Alegría (1924–2018) |
 Nicaragua/ El Salvador |
Spanish | novel, poetry, essay | [17][18][19] |
| 2008 |  |
Patricia Grace (b. 1937) |
 New Zealand |
English | novel, short story | [20][21][22] |
| 2010 |  |
Duo Duo (b. 1951) |
 China |
Chinese | poetry | [23][24] |
| 2012 | |
Rohinton Mistry (b. 1952) |
India/ Canada |
English | novel, short story | [5][6] |
| 2014 |  |
Mia Couto (b. 1955) |
 Mozambique |
Portuguese | novel, short story, poetry | [25][26] |
| 2016 |  |
Dubravka Ugrešić (b. 1949) |
 Croatia/ Netherlands |
Croatian | novel, short story | [27] |
| 2018 | _(cropped).jpg.webp) |
Edwidge Danticat (b. 1969) |
United States (Haitian American) |
English | novel, short story, biography | [28] |
| 2020 |  |
Ismail Kadare (b. 1936) |
 Albania |
Albanian | novel, short story, poetry, essay, drama, screenplay | [29] |
NSK Neustadt Prize for Children’s Literature
Source:[30]
| Year | Name | Country | Language(s) | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Mildred D. Taylor | United States |
English | |
| 2005 | Brian Doyle | Canada |
English | |
| 2007 | Katherine Paterson | United States |
English | |
| 2009 | Vera B. Williams | United States |
English | |
| 2011 | Virginia Euwer Wolff | United States |
English | |
| 2013 | Naomi Shihab Nye | United States |
English | |
| 2015 | Meshack Asare |  Ghana |
English | |
| 2017 | Marilyn Nelson | United States |
English | |
| 2019 | Margarita Engle | United States (Cuban) |
English |
List of Neustadt Laureates, Finalists and Jurors
See also
References
- Daniel Kalder (August 12, 2013). "America's Nobel: The Neustadt International Prize for Literature". Publishing Perspectives. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
- Edwin McDowell (February 26, 1982). "PUBLISHING: THE OKLAHOMA 'NOBEL'". New York Times. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
- Annalisa Quinn (November 5, 2013). "Book News: Mozambican Writer Wins Neustadt Prize, 'America's Nobel'". NPR. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
- Chad Post (November 10, 2016). "The American Nobel: At Norman, Oklahoma's Neustadt Prize Festival". Literary Hub. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
- Rohinton Mistry wins Neustadt Prize 2012 – "Parsi Khabar"
- Critically acclaimed Indian-Canadian writer Rohinton Mistry wins 2012 Neustadt International Prize for Literature – "World Literature Today"
- "Neustadt International Prize for Literature". World Literature Today. October 2012. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
- "Neustadt-Nobel Prize Convergences". The Neustadt Prizes. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
- Walter Neustadt Jr. Obituary, biographical information about Walter Neustadt
- "World Literature Today".
- "Neustadt Laureates: Past Laureates". World Literature Today. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
- "1996 Neustadt Prize Laureate – Assia Djebar". World Literature Today. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
- "Colombian given literary award". The Oklahoma Daily. October 18, 2002. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
- "2004 Neustadt Prize Laureate – Adam Zagajewski". World Literature Today. 2005. Archived from the original on March 3, 2014. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
- "Polish poet awarded 2004 Neustadt prize". The Oklahoma Daily. October 27, 2003. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
- Bunmi Ishola (September 30, 2006). "Claribel Alegría wins Neustadt Prize". The Norman Transcript. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
- Staff writer (May 1, 2007). "Claribel Alegria: 2006 Neustadt International Prize Laureate.(special section)(Biography)". World Literature Today. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
- "Neustadt Prize". The Missouri Review. November 16, 2006. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
- "2008 Neustadt Prize Laureate – Patricia Grace". World Literature Today. May 2009. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
- "NEW: Banquet to honor winner of the Neustadt Prize". The Norman Transcript. September 18, 2008. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
- Staff writer (October 8, 2007). "Patricia Grace wins prestigious literary prize". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
- Staff writer (October 29, 2009). "Chinese poet awarded Neustadt Prize at OU". Norman Transcript. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
- "2010 Neustadt Laureate Duo Duo". World Literature Today. March 2011. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
- Hector Tobar (November 1, 2013). "Who will win 'America's Nobel,' the Neustadt Prize?". LA Times. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
- "Noted Mozambican Author Mia Couto Wins 2014 Neustadt International Prize for Literature". The Neustadt Prize. November 1, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
- "Dubravka Ugrešić Announced as 2016 Winner of Prestigious Neustadt International Prize for Literature". The Neustadt Prize. October 23, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
- "Edwidge Danticat is 2018 Winner of Prestigious Neustadt International Prize for Literature". The Neustadt Prize. November 9, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- "Albanian author Ismail Kadare has won the 2020 Neustadt International Prize for Literature". Literary Hub. October 17, 2019. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
- "NSK Laureates". World Literature Today. Retrieved May 6, 2019.