Yasmin Zaher: Palestinian writer wins Dylan Thomas prize
A Palestinian novelist has won this year's Swansea University Dylan Thomas literary prize for young writers.Yasmin Zaher was awarded £20,000 for her debut novel The Coin, which was described by the judging panel as "borderless".The prize, named after the Swansea-born writer Dylan Thomas, who died aged 39, celebrates writers up to that age to honour the author's life and work.The Coin, the story of a wealthy Palestinian woman who struggles to thrive in America, tackles trauma and grief "with bold and poetic moments of quirkiness and humour," the judging panel said.
Ms Zaher, who was born in Jerusalem in 1991, received the prize at a ceremony in Swansea on Thursday evening."Whittling our exceptional longlist of twelve down to six brilliant books, and then again to just one, was not an easy exercise - yet the judging panel was unanimous in their decision to name debut novelist Yasmin Zaher as the winner," said Namita Gokhale, chair of 2025 judges."Zaher brings complexity and intensity to the page through her elegantly concise writing," she added.The full shortlist for the 2025 prize was:Rapture's Road by Seán Hewitt - poetry collection (UK/Ireland)Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon - novel (Ireland)The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden - novel (The Netherlands)I Will Crash by Rebecca Watson - novel (UK)Moderate to Poor, Occasionally Good by Eley Williams - short story collection (UK)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Dump Kneecap from Glastonbury line-up demands Starmer after member of group charged with terror offence
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE Prime Minister has called for Glastonbury to axe Kneecap from its line-up after a band member was charged with a terror offence. Sir Keir Starmer said it is 'not appropriate' for the Irish hip hop group to cash in at the festival. Sign up for the Politics newsletter Sign up 2 The PM has called for Glastonbury to axe Irish hip hop group Kneecap from its line-up Credit: Getty 2 Sir Keir Starmer says it is 'not appropriate' for them to cash in at the festival Credit: Getty Rapper Liam Og O hAnnaidh, appeared in court last week accused of displaying a flag in support of banned terror group Hezbollah at a gig. O hAnnaidh, 27, who goes by the stage name Mo Chara, was bailed until later in the summer — leaving him free to play at Glastonbury. Asked by The Sun on Sunday if he thinks Kneecap should play, the PM, left, said: 'No I don't. 'I think we need to come down really clearly on this. I won't say too much, because there's a court case on, but I don't think that's appropriate.' The Belfast group are due to play the West Holts Stage on Saturday. Bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh have supported O hAnnaidh. They said at court: 'For anybody going to Glastonbury, you can see us there at 4pm on Saturday. 'If you can't be there we'll be on the BBC. Most importantly: free, free Palestine.' The BBC last night faced pressure not to air Kneecap's set, after Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: 'It should not be rewarding extremism.' A spokesman for the broadcaster said: 'Decisions on our output will be made in the lead up to the festival.'
BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
'Not just smut': Why it's happily ever after for romance books
Author Bea Fitzgerald, 28, says she benefitted from this commercial shift, selling her young adult fantasy rom-com Girl Goddess Queen at the peak of the romance boom. "That sort of space opening up is what allowed me to move into the market," she says. Bea previously worked in publishing, and recalls seeing "a lot of books that could have been published as romance [instead] published in other literary genres because they think that it will not appeal to a certain type of audience". The genre is nothing new, she quips, having long been "championed" by publishers such as Mills & Boon. The difference now is that young people "like things really unapologetically". "They won't just read a romance, they'll go shout about it online, and then they'll go to a romance convention, and they'll talk to their friends about it." While the community has grown, Bea thinks critical appraisal of the genre is still lacking. "Do we see broadsheets reviewing romance books? No. And they are just as important, literary books." Bea believes this is both because "the good majority" of the readers are women, and simply because the stories are happy. "It goes in line with this sort of academic elitism that for something to be serious, it has to be a Shakespearean tragedy," she says. "Whereas if it's happy, it's not serious, it hasn't got literary merit. It obviously does - of course it does."
The Sun
5 hours ago
- The Sun
Former Championship manager, 44, now working at Bristol Airport as picture of him in uniform goes viral
A FORMER Championship manager has swapped wingers for wings - by taking a job at Bristol Airport. And fans could barely believe their eyes as he opted for a high-viz instead of a high line. 2 Ex-Swindon and Notts County chief Luke Williams was Swansea boss from January 2024 until his sacking in February 2025. The London-born gaffer, 44, was placed on gardening leave. But despite no doubt receiving a pay-off from the Welsh club when axed four months ago, he was keen to do something worthwhile during his time out of the game. So much so that as he awaits a new stint in a dugout, kind-hearted Williams has undertaken a gig helping disabled and limited-mobility passengers around the Bristol Airport terminal, as reported by The Athletic. He started the job two weeks ago. And it did not take long for a photo of him at his new workplace to go viral. The snap showed humble Williams wearing his yellow reflective vest uniform and lanyard coming out of the lift in Bristol. An X user wrote: "Luke Williams gone from managing the Swans to working in Bristol Airport, someone check VAR." One replied: "He's just doing this because he's bored, he genuinely doesn't care about others' opinions and you have to respect it." Another commented: "Fair play to the guy." Former Premier League manager is told 'f--- you' by his own player before he shushes him in furious Club World Cup row A third joked: "Managing in the top flight." A fourth added: "Cardiff City fan here with nothing but respect for this. Call me woke if you want. (*best believe I'll turn up in full bluebirds kit when I fly out next week)" And a final person typed: "Clearly has a massive work ethic. Good luck to him!" Williams told The Guardian in 2024 that he places a strong emphasis on commitment and dedication, declaring: "In my opinion, motivation in life is everything." He also revealed how he loaded lorries for BHS and drove minibuses to and from nightclubs and airports to fund his early coaching career. In those days, he collected £1.50 for every player who attended his sessions. Williams also applied for an electrician course when he left his coaching role with Swansea under Russell Martin in 2022.
