Seán Hewitt and Ferdia Lennon shortlisted for Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize

The shortlist for the world’s largest literary award for young writers, the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize, has been announced, and includes Irish authors Seán Hewitt for his poetry collection Rapture’s Road, and Ferdia Lennon for his debut novel Glorious Exploits.

Glorious Exploits is described as a journey through time to Sicily in 412BC, while Rapture’s Road explores the reciprocal relationship between queer sexuality and the natural world through a journey into the hypnotic “nightwoods”.

Commenting on Lennon’s novel, Judge Max Liu said: "Ferdia Lennon’s first novel signals the arrival of an assured and ambitious voice in contemporary fiction. By combining an ancient setting with a contemporary idiom, he puts a fresh spin on the historical novel, telling his characters’ story with ceaseless energy and inventiveness. The judges agreed that it is funny, moving and delivers a message about the importance of art that could not be more timely."

Meanwhile, Judge Namita Gokhale said the following about Hewitt’s poetry collection: “In Rapture’s Road, Sean Hewitt’s moving work spoke to me through the sure tread of the verses and their tremulous shadows. This is poetry that believes in beauty and the power of words. These luminous nightscapes, haunted by love and loss, carry the assurance of rigorous craft.”

Other authors included in the shortlist include Dutch author Yael van der Wouden and her novel The Safekeep, which brings domestic drama to the Dutch countryside during the summer of 1961, with a powerful exploration of the legacy of WWII, as well as UK novelist Rebecca Watson for I Will Crash, a haunting story of family trauma and memory.

Eley Williams’ short story collection Moderate to Poor, Occasionally Good, which has been praised for its originality, subtlety and attention to detail, and capturing the inner workings of the mind, has also been nominated, while Palestinian writer Yasmin Zaher and her novel The Coin, which draws on personal experiences to dissect nature and civilisation, beauty and justice, class and belonging in a vivid exploration of identity and heritage, completes the list.

Namita Gokhale, Chair of Judges, commented on the sortlist: “The range and depth of this year's vibrant longlist made for compelling reading. It was truly a challenge for the jury to hone in on the final shortlist. The Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize celebrates immensely talented writers, all below the age of forty, writing in a range of literary forms.

“The 2025 shortlist is varied and diverse: from ancient Sicily to tremulous nightwoods, it encompasses the historical, the contemporary, and the timeless through novels, short stories and poetry, showcasing startlingly fresh writing, style and energy.”

Worth £20,000, the Dylan Thomas Prize recognises exceptional literary talent aged 39 or under. The prize is named after the Swansea-born writer Dylan Thomas and celebrates his 39 years of creativity and productivity.

The British Library will host a shortlist celebratory event on Wednesday May 14 for International Dylan Thomas Day, and the winner will be announced during a ceremony in Swansea on Thursday May 15.