Nishnaabeg author Leanne Betasamosake Simpson up for Dublin Literary Award

Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg storyteller Leanne Betasamosake Simpson is in the running for a six-figure international literary prize.

Simpson, a member of Alderville First Nation in southern Ontario, is among six authors that have been shortlisted for the 2022 Dublin Literary Award.

The writer, scholar and musician is nominated for “Noopiming: The Cure for White Ladies,” published by House of Anansi Press, which blends poetry and prose to reclaim Anishinaabe esthetics.

Sponsored by Dublin City Council, the annual prize recognizes a single work of fiction published in English, awarding the winner 100,000 euros (C$149,000).

A global network of libraries selects the nominations. The Ottawa Public Library backed “Noopiming.”

The winner will be announced May 19 at the International Literature Festival Dublin.

The other contenders are:

– “Remote Sympathy” by Catherine Chidgey of New Zealand

– “At Night All Blood is Black” by David Diop of France

– “The Death of Vivek Oji” by Akwaeke Emezi of Nigeria

– “The Art of Falling” by Danielle McLaughlin of Ireland

– “The Art of Losing” by Alice Zeniter of France

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 22, 2022.