American poet Sasha Debevec-McKenney wins Dylan Thomas prize for ‘blistering’ debut poetry collection
Summary
American poet Sasha Debevec-McKenney won the 2024 Swansea University Dylan Thomas prize for her first poetry book, Joy Is My Middle Name. The prize honors writers aged 39 or younger and celebrates the work of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas.Key Facts
- Sasha Debevec-McKenney’s book explores themes like race, addiction, womanhood, sex, and consumerism.
- The prize is worth £20,000 and given each year in Swansea, the birthplace of Dylan Thomas.
- Judges praised the book for its lively, honest voice and emotional depth.
- Debevec-McKenney was born in Connecticut and works as a creative writing fellow at Emory University in Georgia.
- Her poems have appeared in major magazines such as The New Yorker and The New York Review of Books.
- Other finalists included Harriet Armstrong, Colwill Brown, Suzannah V Evans, Seán Hewitt, and Derek Owusu.
- The judging panel included writers Joe Dunthorne, Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe, Prajwal Parajuly, and Eley Williams.
- Previous winners include celebrated authors like Caleb Azumah Nelson and Patricia Lockwood.
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