Natasha Brown’s Assembly is on the longlist for the Desmond Elliot Prize 2022 announced on Wednesday, April 6, 2022.
The Desmond Elliott Prize, one of the most prestigious for debut novelists in the UK, awards the winning author £10,000 to shape their developing career. Ten novels are longlisted for the prize, from which three shortlisted novels are selected by a panel of expert judges. The prize, which was first handed out in 2008, was won by Derek Owusu in 2020.
The judges for the 2022 Desmond Elliott Prize are Derek Owusu (chair), Symeon Brown, and Lyndsey Fineran.
Derek Owusu said: ‘It’s an honour to judge any prize but it’s even more special to work with a prize that did so much for my career and continues to do so for others. And I’m very happy I can be a part of that – I’m really looking forward to reading so many incredible books.’
The longlist announced featured the following writer of African descent;
- Assembly, Natasha Brown
The book has been described by Booker Prize winner Bernardine Evaristo thus, ‘Natasha Brown’s exquisite prose, daring structure, and understated elegance are utterly captivating. She is a stunning new writer.’ Apart from this award, the book has been on the shortlist for the Rathbones Folio Prize, the Goldsmith Prize, and the LA Book Prizes.
The winning author will be celebrated at an event in the summer of 2022 alongside a year of support from the UK’s National Centre for Writing.
