Author Levan Berdzenishvili in EBRD Literature Prize longlist
Berdzenishvili was awarded for his 2017 nonfiction work 'Evolution of Literacy' with a SABA Award in Georgia, among other recognitions. Photo via liberali.ge.
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Author Levan Berdzenishvili's historical fiction novel Sacred Darkness has been selected as one of 10 works in contention for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's Literature Prize.
The award-winning popular author's recent novel, in its translation by Brian James Baer and Ellen Vayner, is part of the longlist from which juries will select winners for a ceremony in London this spring.
The EBRD award honours both authors and their translators, promoting fiction from countries where the bank is in operation. The winning entry receives a €20,000 money prize for the group selected from finalists.
Revealed on Tuesday, the longlist sees Berdzenishvili and the two translators picked alongside such established names as Russian author Boris Akunin and Jewish writer Grigory Kanovich.
We’re excited to announce our ????#EBRDLiteraturePrize2020 longlist: a fascinating variety ???? of regions, ✍️ writers, translators & publishers.
— The EBRD (@EBRD) February 25, 2020
How did our judges @GoldRosie, Vesna Goldsworthy @UniofExeter, @BoydTonkin, @Tom_deWaal choose the longlist? ???? https://t.co/h0vhqnF1ag pic.twitter.com/kFKW1XL9JE
Coming from the Europa Editions publishing, Sacred Darkness deals with the bleak history of Soviet-era political repressions through experiences of citizen finding themselves in an "extraordinary, absurd condition".
Released last year, the novel sees its protagonist end up in jail on trumped-up charges familiar of the 20th century decades of political persecution in the state.
But rather than being the hell he expected, jail allows him access to a wide array of intellectuals, professionals, citizens of all walks of life" - Europa Editions
Chapters of the book are dedicated to characters the protagonist encounters in the prison, combining to create an illustration of the soviet society.
The cover for the English translation of Berdzenishvili's 2019 novel. Photo via Europa Editions.
Berdzenishvili has been praised for pulling off "both a feat of fractured storytelling and a beautiful excavation of a recent, haunting past" (Publishers Weekly) with the book.
The Georgian author is recipient of literary prizes in Georgia including the 2017 SABA Award for Best Nonfiction for his collection of essays Evolution of Literacy. He is also known for his reviews of Greek and Latin comedies and teaches at universities in Georgia.
The EBRD Literature Prize longlist will be used by juries to select three finalists, to be invited on April 22 to London's One Exchange Square, with the winner announced for the 2020 edition of the award.