The University of “Swansea” in Wales, Palestinian writer Yasmine Zahir, awarded the “Dylan Thomas” literary award for her first novel “The Coin”, published by (Kilmoul 2024 Publications).
The prize value is 20 thousand pounds, and is granted annually to writers between the ages of 39 years or less, and is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world for youth, in commemoration of the memory of the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (1914 – 1953).
The novel follows a rich Palestinian woman, who tries to establish her roots in New York, yet she feels suffocation in the United States, and develops obsession with hygiene and purity.
The Palestinian Ministry of Culture congratulated the writer for receiving the award, and considered it “a literary achievement added to the presence of Palestinian literature on the global scene.”
The winner was honored during an official ceremony held in Swansea, the birthplace of the poet Thomas.
“The currency” is a narration without borders, which deals with the topics of shock and sadness with moments of audacity and poetry, and gather touches of strangeness and humor. It is a vibrant novel, and Zahir’s ability to intensify the complexity and depth in elegant and short writing. “
“I have very conflicting feelings about the release of my novel at this time, it is a dream that has been achieved for me, but joy is mixed with deep sadness, due to the current conditions in my country. I tell myself that the identity is not pure, that life is chaotic, and perhaps most importantly, that literature is at its best when it resists the classifications,” Zahir said in an interview last July.
Yasmine Zahir was born in Jerusalem in 1991, and she studied biomedical engineering at Yale University, before moving to the study of creative writing in New York. Her “currency” novel appeared in many of the best books that were nominated by the largest international newspapers and magazines for 2024.
