Roncaglio takes Foreign Fiction Prize

Peruvian author Santiago Roncagliolo was announced as the winner of the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize last month for his third novel, ‘Red April’, published by Atlantic Books. The £10,000 award, funded by Arts Council England, was shared equally with Roncagliolo's American translator Edith Grossman.

Roncagliolo, who at 36 is the youngest ever recipient of the prize, competed against a strong shortlist, which included Nobel Prize-winning Turkish author Orhan Pamuk and former Independent Foreign Fiction Prize winner, Norwegian Per Petterson.

Commenting on the announcement, Roncagliolo described ‘Red April’ as a book influenced by British writers from Ian McEwan to graphic novelist Allan Moore, and stated his belief that British authors also look back to the work of Latin American writers.

He said, “The Independent Foreign Fiction Prize closes a wonderful ‘British season’ for me and my book. During the last twelve months I've been to the UK many times to talk at festivals, libraries, bookshops and universities and I am sure that the support of all the people I met during those visits, including my publishers, my agents and my great translator, has been instrumental in my receiving of the prize. I want to share it with them.”

Translator, Edith Grossman spoke of the pleasure of working on Santiago's books, saying: “It is immensely exciting to me to find this kind of skill and profound perception in a young writer like Santiago. He has the talent, the skill, and the inborn experience of an old master. I always look forward to translating his work.”

The Independent Foreign Fiction Prize ran previously between 1990 and 1995 and was revived with the support of Arts Council England in 2001. The prize money and associated costs are funded by the Arts Council with additional support from the ‘Independent’ and Champagne Taittinger. The prize is managed by Arts Council regularly funded organisation Booktrust.

Antonia Byatt, Director, Literature, Arts Council England commented: “’Red April’ is a fantastic choice for this year's Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, chosen from a particularly rich shortlist. It's a huge achievement for a very talented writer and a brilliant example of how the art of translation brings the best writing to readers across the world.”