The inaugural Pleasure of Reading Prize was awarded to Ali Smith.
“There is a particular pleasure that arises from reading Ali Smith that accompanies her readers out into the world long after they’ve closed the covers of one of her books — it’s a pleasure that arises from the seriousness with which she treats joy. She’s well aware of the world’s sorrows and injustices, and writes about these movingly and with acuity, but if anything this enhances her celebration of love and wonder and art and friendship.
She brings gravity to lightness and lightness to gravity as no other writer does. She is both a writer’s writer and a reader’s writer.” Kamila Shamsie
Ali Smith is the best-selling author of novels, short story collections, plays and non-fiction books. Her fiction includes the dazzling Seasonal Quartet (Spring, Winter, Autumn, Summer), Public library and other stories, How to be both, Shire, Artful, Girl Meets Boy, The Accidental, The whole story and other stories, Hotel World, Like and Free Love. Summer won The Orwell Prize for Political Fiction in 2021.
Watch Ali Smith’s video on receiving The Pleasure of Reading Prize:
Copyright Sarah Wood, 2021
Ali Smith chose to support Books for First Nighters in prisons and Breakfast Book Clubs for children.
The Pleasure of Reading Prize judges:
- Lady Antonia Fraser, CH, writer and biographer (Chair)
- Kamila Shamsie, FRSL, novelist and Bloomsbury author
- James Naughtie, FRSE, radio and news presenter, host of BBC Radio 4’s Book Club
- Victoria Gray, Executive Director of Give a Book
- Abdulrazak Gurnah, FRSL, novelist and Bloomsbury author
