Dublin-based Indian poet Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe's debut poetry collection "Auguries of a Minor God" is among the eight novels, two poetry collections and two short story collections longlisted for this year's Dylan Thomas Prize worth 20,000 pounds.
Eipe, who was born in India and grew up across the Middle East, Europe and North America before calling Ireland home, draws inspiration from Kama, the Hindu god of love and desire, for her first poetry collection.
The book follows two different journeys. While the first half talks about love and the wounds it makes, the second half follows a family of refugees who have fled to the West from conflict in an unspecified Middle Eastern country.
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The Dylan Thomas Prize, in partnership with Swansea University, celebrates the international world of fiction in all its forms including poetry, novels, short stories and drama.
Launched in 2006, the award, named after the Swansea-born writer, Dylan Thomas, is awarded for the best published literary work in the English language, written by an author aged 39 or under.
It is chaired by co-founder and co-director of the Jaipur Literature Festival and award-winning author Namita Gokhale this year.
"From Sri Lanka to Trinidad, Texas, and Ireland via the Middle East, this year’s longlist features a powerful, international collection of writers who are offering platforms for under-represented voices," said the award committee in its statement.
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The other longlisted books are "A Passage North" by Anuk Arudpragasam, "What Noise Against the Cane" by Desiree Bailey, "Keeping the House" by Tice Cin, "The "Sweetness of Water" by Nathan Harris, "No One is Talking About This" by Patricia Lockwood, "Milk Blood Heat" by Dantiel W Moniz, "Hot Stew" by Fiona Mozley, "Open Water" by Caleb Azumah Nelson, "Acts of Desperation" by Megan Nolan "Peaces" by Helen Oyeyemi and "Filthy Animals" by Brandon Taylor.
The shortlist will be announced on March 31, and the winner will be declared on May 12 -- two days before the 'International Dylan Thomas Day'.
