Canadian writer Canisia Lubrin wins $150K Carol Shields literary prize
Writer Canisia Lubrin, known for her poetry, has won this year’s Carol Shields Prize for Fiction, which honors women and nonbinary storytellers in the U.S. and Canada.
Lubrin’s debut fiction work, 2024’s Code Noir, is a collection made up of 59 short stories – jumping off of Louis XIV’s “Black Code,” which established the rules of slavery in France and the French colonies.
“Canisia Lubrin’s prose is polyphonic,” wrote the prize judges in a statement announcing Lubrin’s win. “The stories invite you to immerse yourself in both the real and the speculative, in the intimate and in sweeping moments of history. Riffing on the Napoleonic decree, Lubrin retunes the legacies of slavery, colonialism and violence.”
The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction is relatively new. Named after the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, it aims to increase literary visibility for books written by women and nonbinary authors. The prize has drawn attention for the hefty check its winners receive – $150,000. In comparison, National Book Award winners receive $10,000, Pulitzer winners receive $15,000, and Booker Prize winners receive £50,000 (about $66,000). Shields prize winners also get a five-night stay at Fogo Island.
Lubrin beat out finalists Dominique Fortier, whose work Pale Shadows was translated by Rhonda Mullins, Miranda July (All Fours), Sarah Manguso (Liars), and Aube Rey Lescure (River East, River West) for the win.
Lawmakers threaten Attorney General Bondi with contempt over incomplete Epstein files
The Justice Department is defending its initial release of documents related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, saying lawyers are still going through them to ensure victims are protected.
How a power outage in Colorado caused U.S. official time be 4.8 microseconds off
Officials said the error is likely be too minute for the general public to clock it, but it could affect applications such as critical infrastructure, telecommunications and GPS signals.
Scientists say they have discovered 20 new species deep in the Pacific Ocean
Researchers retrieved reef monitoring devices that had been placed in deep coral reefs in Guam. The devices were placed up to 330 feet below the surface.
Shopping for pricy ACA health plans? Some cheaper options come with trade-offs
Without a fix from Congress, costs for many people who buy health care on the Affordable Care Act marketplace have gone up. Here's what's to know about cheaper choices — and pitfalls to be aware of.
Cartagena’s iconic horse carriages give way to electric buggies
Cartagena, Colombia, is set to ban its iconic horse-drawn carriages, replacing them with electric buggies — a move dividing the historic city over tradition, tourism, and animal welfare.
New Orleans musicians share their favorite Christmas songs, from bounce to blues
Rosemary Westwood from member station WWNO asked a few of New Orlean's favorite musicians about the songs they like to listen to around Christmas.
