Anonymity Is Life, by alumna Sola Saar ’19, is among the finalists for The Novel Prize from Fitzcarraldo Editions, Giramondo and New Directions.
The Novel Prize is a biennial award for a book-length work of literary fiction written in English by published and unpublished writers around the world. It aims to recognize “novels which explore and expand the possibilities of the form, and are innovative and imaginative in style.” This year, the shortlist was selected from nearly 700 entries worldwide. The winning author will get $10,000 in the form of an advance against royalties, and simultaneous publication of their novel in the UK and Ireland by the London-based Fitzcarraldo Editions, in Australia and New Zealand by Sydney publisher Giramondo, and in North America by New York’s New Directions.
Saar’s Anonymity Is Life is pitched as “a dark comedy about an eccentric family. It follows Vera, a sardonic young writer and her sister Katrina, a neurologically atypical budding philosopher. As Vera navigates young adulthood, depression, and a bad economy, the novel explores the concept of drawing from one’s own life experiences and simultaneously attempting to write from a place of deep anonymity.”
"I'm surprised and grateful to be shortlisted for The Novel Prize,” said Saar. “New Directions, Fitzcarraldo, and Giramondo publish so many unique, international authors I love and who have influenced my work."
The winning title will be announced in February 2023 and published in early 2024.
Sola Saar is a writer and artist based in Los Angeles. Her fiction has appeared in Queen Mob's Tea House, Konch magazine, The Writing Disorder, Litro, and Flapperhouse. Her art writing has appeared in East of Borneo, The Huffington Post, Art Slant, Flaunt, and Bullett. Anonymity Is Life will be her debut novel.
