The latest novel by Quebec writer of Vietnamese origin Kim Thúy, Um, has been shortlisted for the 2023 edition of the International Dublin Literary Award, an award with a unique nomination process.
Indeed, rather than being chosen by a jury or submitted by publishers, the works of fiction in the running, written or translated into English, are offered by public libraries in capitals and major cities around the world.
For this 28e publishing, the list of titles shortlisted for this award, sponsored by Dublin City Council, Ireland, includes 70 novels, including 29 translations.
They were submitted by 84 libraries from 31 countries in Africa, Europe, Asia, the United States, Canada, South America and Oceania.
With this nomination, Kim Thúy joins Canadian luminaries of literature, including Margaret Atwood and Sherman Alexie.
Em tells the story of a baby abandoned in the middle of the Vietnam War and who is tenderly cared for by a young boy living in the streets of Saigon.
The appointment ofEm is also a great success for the Montreal translator Sheila Fischman, already selected for the 2017 edition, the translation of this work of fiction being a complex task.