American poet Sasha Debevec-McKenney has been awarded the prestigious Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize for her debut poetry collection Joy Is My Middle Name. The £20,000 prize, which honors writers aged 39 or under, was presented at a ceremony in Swansea, the birthplace of Dylan Thomas.
A Unanimous Decision
The judging panel, chaired by Irenosen Okojie, selected the collection unanimously. Okojie described it as "an exuberant, blistering collection full of life, humour and ideas. Debevec-McKenney is a ferociously gifted talent." She added that the book "galvanises the reader with a sense of intimacy that is authentic and a voice that feels like an antidote to our tricky times."
About the Poet
Debevec-McKenney was born in Connecticut and currently resides in Georgia, where she serves as a creative writing fellow at Emory University. Her poems have been featured in prominent publications such as the New Yorker, the New York Review of Books, and the Yale Review.
The Collection's Themes
Joy Is My Middle Name explores the experiences of life in one's twenties and thirties, delving into themes of race, sex, womanhood, addiction, and consumerism. It is among the first poetry collections published by the independent press Fitzcarraldo.
In a review for the Guardian, Fiona Sampson described the collection as "fast and furious," noting its "smash-and-grab raids on a North American life of creative writing programmes and 'people ... at the farmers' market being very specific about their mushroom selection'; of cold chicken wings for breakfast and statues to racist presidents." She called the poems "sexy and exciting ... but, as this brainy poet grapples middle-class mores to the ground, they can also be extremely funny."
Sampson also highlighted that the collection aligns with Fitzcarraldo's "modernist and experimental house style in ways that feel refreshing for UK poetry."
The Poet's Voice
In an interview with Literary Hub last year, Debevec-McKenney described her poems as being primarily read by "crazy, chaotic girls like me." She stated, "Anyone can read my poems, I hope, but everything I'm revealing about myself in my poems, all the embarrassing stories I'm telling, all the bad stuff I've done, I know other girls have felt the same way. I've been desperate for love and affection. I've hated my body. I've experienced profound female friendship. I've thrown myself at people who don't want me. I'm happy to admit it all if other girls can relate."
Shortlisted Titles
The other shortlisted works for this year's prize included To Rest Our Minds and Bodies by Harriet Armstrong; We Pretty Pieces of Flesh by Colwill Brown; Under the Blue by Suzannah V Evans; Open, Heaven by Seán Hewitt; and Borderline Fiction by Derek Owusu.
Judging Panel
Joining Okojie on the panel were writers Joe Dunthorne, Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe, Prajwal Parajuly, and Eley Williams.
Previous Winners
Last year's prize was awarded to Palestinian writer Yasmin Zaher for her novel The Coin. Previous winners include Caleb Azumah Nelson, Arinze Ifeakandu, Patricia Lockwood, Max Porter, Raven Leilani, Bryan Washington, Fiona McFarlane, and Kayo Chingonyi.
Joy Is My Middle Name by Sasha Debevec-McKenney is published by Fitzcarraldo at £12.99.
