Prestigious Wingate Prize shortlist chosen for 2018
Judges choosing the winner of the £4,000 award will have to pick from authors including Linda Grant, Laurence Rees and Mya Guarnieri Jaradat,
One of the Jewish world’s foremost literary prizes has whittled a longlist of entries down to a shortlist of six, with the winner set to be announced on 15 February.
Among the shortlisted authors for the JQ Literary Wingate Prize 2018 is a former creative director of history programmes for the BBC, a Liverpudlian former Guardian journalist, a cognitive behavioura l professor and a poet with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Judges determining the winner of the £4,000 prize will now consider The Mighty Franks by Michael Frank, The Dark Circle by Linda Grant, The Unchosen by Mya Guarnieri Jaradat, Small Pieces by Joanne Limburg, Stranger in a Strange Land by George Prochnik and The Holocaust by Laurence Rees.
Get The Jewish News Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up
Now in its 41st year, the prize shortlist comprises of one novel, two memoirs, a biography, a history and a work of investigative journalism and is given to the best book, fiction or non-fiction, to translate the idea of Jewishness to the general reader.
“We’re delighted with this shortlist, which demonstrates the depth, vitality and diversity of Jewish writing across genres, generations and continents,” said chair of judges Toby Lichtig. “Family, belonging, outsiders and outliers all feature strongly, as does a mixture of comedy and tragedy.”
He said that while the books showcased specifically Jewish experiences, they also dealt with “matters of universal human importance, such as identity, kinship, what it means to be part of a group, or to break away from one, and how to treat others”.
Lichtig added: “These are six books to stimulate, educate, vex and entertain: a cross-section of the best of contemporary Jewish writing.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
-
By Brigit Grant
-
By Laurent Vaughan - Senior Associate (Bishop & Sewell Solicitors)
-
By Laurent Vaughan - Senior Associate (Bishop & Sewell Solicitors)
-
By Laurent Vaughan - Senior Associate (Bishop & Sewell Solicitors)
-
By Laurent Vaughan - Senior Associate (Bishop & Sewell Solicitors)