The Asia-Pacific Writing Partnership congratulates Man Asia Literary Prize winner for 2008, Filipino novelist Miguel Syjuco.
Miguel Syjuco won the $10,000 from the backers of the world-renowned Booker prize. The Asian Literary prize seeks to recognize the region's top literary talent.
The prize was conceived by the Partnership's Board member Nury Vittachi and one of the three judges, Nicholas Jose, is also a Board member of the Asia-Pacific Writing Partnership. One of the short-listed candidates, Kavery Nambisan, attended the recent writing workshops in Shimla and Delhi, co-hosted by the Partnership and the Indian Institute of Technology. Another of the short-listed writers, Alfred "Krip" Yuson is on the Partnership's Advisory Committee.
We hope that more writers around the region will seek to submit new work for next year's award and register as members of the Asia-Pacific Writing Parntership.
2008 Man Asian Literary Prize Winner Announced
Hong Kong, 13 November 2008 – A panel of three internationally acclaimed authors and experienced literary judges named Filipino author Miguel Syjuco winner of the 2008 Man Asian Literary Prize for his novel Ilustrado, a fictional account of a young Filipino caught within a notorious scandal spanning over the Philippine history.
The panel of judges for the 2008 prize praised Ilustrado:
"The shortlist for the Man Asian prize testifies to the great vitality of the novel in Asian societies undergoing hectic and unexpected transformations. In the end, we had to choose; and Ilustrado seems to us to possess formal ambition, linguistic inventiveness and sociopolitical insight in the most satisfying measure. Brilliantly conceived, and stylishly executed, it covers a large and tumultuous historical period with seemingly effortless skill. It is also ceaselessly entertaining, frequently raunchy, and effervescent with humour."
The prize winner was announced at a celebratory dinner at The Peninsula Hong Kong. Miguel Syjuco was awarded USD 10,000.
Ilustrado was selected from shortlist of five:
Kavery Nambisan, The Story that Must Not be Told
Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi, The Lost Flamingoes of Bombay
Miguel Syjuco, Ilustrado
Yu Hua, Brothers
Alfred A. Yuson, The Music ChildFor more information, see: http://www.manasianliteraryprize.org/2008/2008shortlist.php