The Man Asian Literary Prize
Authors in Asia now have a significant literary prize which is designed especially for them. Launched in 2007, the Man Asian Literary Prize is designed for works created in Asia, and is sponsored by the same organization that sponsors the Man Booker Prize, probably the world’s most recognized award for authors of brand new fiction. This is significant news for authors in Asia and should be widely celebrated.
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Unpublished authors
Authors may wish to note that they do not have to be published authors to be eligible to win the Man Asian Literary Prize. Unlike the Man Booker Prize and the International Man Book Prize, there is no requirement for entrants to have had their works issued in print by a recognized publishing house. Indeed, the prize is designed for works which have not been published in English, and preferably by authors who have not been published in English.
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Your own language
You do not have to write your work originally in English. The Man Asian Literary Prize was created under the “hithertoo unpublished in English” principle that was developed by the well-known prose and poetry journal, the Asia Literary Review, of Hong Kong. What this means is that it is recognized that writers in Asia create literary works in both regional languages (also known as "the vernacular") and in English, and that neither category should be excluded from the possibility of winning the prize. However, the founders also recognize that English tends to be the language that takes works to the “World Stage” and want to encourage publishers in all languages to promote translations, so that more inter-cultural dialogues take place.
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Putting politics aside
The prize has suffered from some controversies since it was founded, but let us focus on the new authors the prize is meant to serve, rather than the unfortunate political problems that have divided the founders of the prize.
