THE DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE - Swansea’s own literary award
Booker Counterpoint
The £60,000 Dylan Thomas award for writers under 30 years of age is the brainchild of distinguished Swansea polymath Prof Peter Stead. Peter had long wanted an event or initiative that would truly epitomise the poet’s international celebrity, and provide a focus for the world’s interest in his birthplace.
Just as the Prix Goncourt was the inspiration for the Booker prize, the Viareggio Prize in Tuscany prompted Peter to consider a similar regionally based but internationally active event for Swansea. Naming the award after our very own literary giant was icing on the cake.
Awarded every two years, the Dylan Thomas Prize was launched as the biggest literary prize in the world in 2006.It has since attracted entrants from all over the world. From 2010 the prize is to be awarded annually and reduced to £30,000.
Peter’s personal enthusiasm has been the driving factor in winning support for the prize from the University of Wales, City and County of Swansea and numerous private sponsors. As founding chairman, Peter Stead is committed to making the Dylan Thomas Prize an integral part of the cultural regeneration of Swansea.