THE 4TH WILLIAM SAROYAN INTERNATIONAL PRIZE FOR WRITING IS LAUNCHED

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
18.09.2009 01:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Stanford University Libraries, in partnership
with the William Saroyan Foundation, has launched the fourth William
Saroyan International Prize for Writing (Saroyan Prize). Intended to
encourage new or emerging writers and honor the Saroyan literary legacy
of originality, vitality and stylistic innovation, the Saroyan Prize
recognizes newly published works of both fiction and non-fiction. A
prize of $5,000 will be awarded in each of these categories.

Literary fiction, including novels, short story collections, and
drama, will be eligible for consideration for the Saroyan Fiction
Prize. Literary non-fiction of any length is eligible for consideration
for the Saroyan Non-fiction Prize, most particularly writing in the
Saroyan tradition: memoirs, portraits and excursions into neighborhood
and community. Entries in either category are limited to English
language publications that are available for individual purchase by the
general public. Entries must be received on or before January 31, 2010.

Michael A. Keller, Stanford University Librarian noted "We are
excited to once again be awarding The Saroyan Prize. The Saroyan
archive is a gem in the Libraries’ Special Collections department
and we are thrilled to be able to honor Saroyan’s legacy through
the award." Keller commented on the involvement of Stanford alumni
in evaluating entries: "It has proven exciting to bring together a
cadre of alumni for the winnowing process. We know that Stanford’s
alumni appreciate the opportunity for active and continued engagement
with emerging literary figures, and we in turn are energized by their
engagement and enthusiasm."

The first William Saroyan International Prize for Writing was awarded
in 2003 to Jonathan Safran Foer for his novel Everything is Illuminated
(Houghton Mifflin, 2002).

The William Saroyan Foundation was founded by the author on December
30, 1966 and remains active under a Board of Trustees. Comm set a
goal of bringing together into one single archive his entire literary
estate. A decision was finally made by the Trustees to offer Stanford
University the assembled Saroyan Literary Collection with provisions
that would safeguard in perpetuity one of the rare treasure troves in
American literature, carrying on the legacy of Fresno, California’s
own native son, William Saroyan.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress