Italian poet, essayist, short-story writer, and translator Antonella Anedda has won the prestigious Derek Walcott Prize for Poetry.
The prize is awarded annually to a full-length book of poems by a living poet who is not a U.S. citizen, published in the previous calendar year. The work must be written in English or translated into English, and it may be published anywhere globally. U.S. Green Card holders are eligible for the award.
A statement from the estate of Derek Walcott, the St. Lucian-born Nobel Laureate for Literature, confirmed that Anedda was selected for her book Historiae. The work, translated from Italian by Susan Stewart and Patrizio Ceccagnoli, was published by the New York Review of Books.
Anedda, born in Rome to a Sardinian family in 1955, has published nine books and is a recipient of the prestigious Viareggio Prize for her 2012 poetry collection Salva con nome.
The Derek Walcott Prize for Poetry was established in 2014 through a generous donation by Walcott himself. Anedda will receive a cash award of US$2,000, which will be shared with the translators of her book.
In addition, Zion McNeil has been named the recipient of the 2023/2024 Derek Walcott Theatre Arts Scholarship. This annual award supports a Caribbean Community (CARICOM) student enrolled in the theatre arts program at the University of the West Indies (UWI).
Submissions for the 2025 Walcott Prize are now open.
