The nine members of the jury awarded the “Grand Prix Littéraire of the Association of Caribbean Writers” to the novel “L’Ancêtre en Solitude” (The Ancestor in Solitude) by Simone and André Schwarz-Bart.
42 novels had been selected for the “Grand Prix Littéraire of the Association of Caribbean Writers”. This prize honors a literary work published in French, English or Spanish during the last three years.
18 were from the French-speaking Caribbean (Guadeloupe, Guiana, Martinique), 10 from the English-speaking Caribbean (Anguilla, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana) and 14 from the Spanish-speaking Caribbean (Cuba, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Venezuela).
3 books have been nominated, namely :
– “L’Ancêtre en Solitude” by Simone and André Schwarz-Bart, published in 2015 by Seuil, for Guadeloupe
– “A Brief History of Seven Killings” by Marlon James, published in 2014 by Riverhead Books, for Jamaica
– “Nombres y animales” by Rita Indiana Hernández, published in 2013 by Periférica for the Dominican Republic.
The nine-member jury, all trilingual, chose to award the“Grand Prix Littéraire of the Association of Caribbean Writers” to the novel “L’Ancêtre en Solitude” by Simone and André Schwarz-Bart that they described as a tonic and an emotional book.
The creation of this novel is very special. Indeed, after the death of her husband, André Schwarz-Bart (French writer, author of “Le Dernier des Justes” in 1959), his wife Simone found sheets, several of which were torn up and crumpled, she gathered them together and added text in order to create the novel.
“L’Ancêtre en Solitude” is about a little girl who goes in search of her roots.
Simone Schwarz-Bart received the“Grand Prix Littéraire of the ACW” during the closing ceremony of the 4th Congress of Caribbean Writers which took place in the Brument island or the Pigs island located in the natural harbour of Pointe-à-Pitre(Guadeloupe).
The next edition of the Congress of Caribbean Writers will be in principle in 2017, we shall see who will succeed her…
