Windham-Campbell literature prizes to be announced March 7

Yale President Peter Salovey will announce the winners of the 2014 Donald Windham–Sandy M. Campbell Literature Prizes this Friday, March 7, at 10 a.m. in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. This is the second year for the prestigious literary prize, given to writers in English language fiction, nonfiction, and drama. The announcements can be seen live on the Windham-Campbell website.

Each of this year’s eight recipients will receive $150,000 in order to focus on their work independent of financial concerns. The award recognizes and supports writers at all stages of their careers. For the inaugural prize in 2013, winners ranged in age from 33 to 87 and were selected from nine different countries, making it a truly global prize.

This year’s recipients have been selected from a pool of 64 nominees in 16 countries. Winners will be invited to a prize ceremony at the Beinecke in September, followed by a literary festival in New Haven that celebrates their work. The prize was created with a gift from the late Donald Windham and his partner, Sandy M. Campbell, and is one of the largest literary prizes in the world.