Particularly towards the end of his life Dylan Thomas has periods when the words never came. Actually, that’s not strictly true – the words of his poetry didn’t come but his film scripts and his radio work gave him new life – and money!
That is why the Dylan Thomas Prize accepts entries in all the genres that Dylan worked – fiction, short stories, poetry collections, film and media scripts. It was strange then to hear that Tessa Dahl (she’s the one squashed between Roald and Sophie) at the launch of the Prize in Boston on St David’s Day question whether you could differentiate and find a winner.
Doesn’t she know that it has happened in the 2006 and 2008 Prizes? How might you differentiate between a work written for children and War and Peace? Does it mean that there should be a myriad of sub sections to every prize to account for these diffeent thems?
The great thing about the Prize is that it is the only outlet exclusively for authors under 30 and has launched the careers of such up and coming literary stars as Rachel Tresize, Lucy Caldwell, Nam Le, Caroline Bird, Ross Raisin, Joe Dunthorne, Ceridwen Dovey. (Take a look at a unique session with the 2008 shortlisted authors at the Official Authors’ Residence of Clyne Farm Centre – this would never happen at the Booker!! Now that the Prize has gone annual look for a lot more young authors questioning the literay establishment.
Entries close for the 2010 Prize sponsored by University of Wales close 30th April and forms and conditions are on the Prize website
Dylan Thomas Birthplace / Family Home 5 Cwmdonkin Drive, Swansea, Wales, UK 
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