Ruth Ozeki has emerged winner of the 2022 Women’s Prize for Fiction for her novel The Book of Form and Emptiness (Penguin), about a thirteen-year-old boy who lost his father and starts to hear the voices of objects speaking to him after the tragic death of his father.
The prize is given for “outstanding, ambitious, original fiction written in English by women from anywhere in the world.” Ozeki was announced the winner at an awards ceremony which took place in Bedford Square Gardens, central London recently. It was hosted by novelist, playwright and Women’s Prize Founder Director Kate Mosse.
While awarding the prize, Mary Ann Sieghart, the 2022 Chair of Judges said: “In an extraordinary year for fiction written by women, and from an incredibly strong shortlist, we were thrilled to choose Ruth Ozeki’s The Book of Form and Emptiness, which stood out for its sparkling writing, warmth, intelligence, humor and poignancy. A celebration of the power of books and reading, it tackles big issues of life and death and is a complete joy to read. Ruth Ozeki is a truly original and masterful storyteller.”
Ozeki got a £30,000 ($36,500) prize money which was endowed by an anonymous donor, and the “Bessie,” Grizel Niven’s limited-edition bronze figurine.
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