Shams El-Mutwalli

DUBAI: Japanese-American author Ruth Ozeki, author of The Book of Form and Emptiness, was awarded the Women’s Prize for Fiction.

“At an awards ceremony in Bedford Square Gardens, London, hosted by novelist and Women’s Prize Founder Director, Kate Mosse – the 2022 Chair of Judges, Mary Ann Sieghart presented Ruth with the £30,000 prize, endowed by an anonymous donor, and the ‘Bessie’, a limited edition bronze figurine by Grizel Niven,” the Women’s Prize for Fiction website shared.

The 2022 Chair of Judges, Sieghart, expressed how the novel “stood out for its sparkling writing, warmth, intelligence, humour and poignancy. A celebration of the power of books and reading, it tackles big issues of life and death, and is a complete joy to read,” according to the website.

The novel explores the life of Benny Oh following his father’s unexpected death, resulting in the teenager hearing voices from inanimate objects that sets him off on a personal journey to ask questions and find his own voice, published by Viking in Sept. 2021.

Ozeki’s novel was driven by her interest in exploring objects and their stories, asking “Can they teach us about life? About reality?” She shared in a statement.

This book is only one of many, as the author has also released other pieces like A Tale for the Time Being, My Year of Meats and All Over Creation—All of which have been recognized as notable literary works by the attention they received.