Our 2024 Longlist
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 15, 2025
$35,000 Republic of Consciousness Prize for Independent Presses in United States and Canada Announces Longlist
10 Books from Small, Independent Presses Acknowledged for Literary Merit
The third annual Republic of Consciousness Prize, United States and Canada, has announced its longlist of 10 titles from independent presses for the 2024 Prize, celebrating the commitment of small presses to exceptional literary merit. Chosen from scores of submissions, the longlist includes a range of novels written in English and other languages.
The ten longlisted titles are:
Like a Sky Inside by Jakuta Alikavazovic, translated by Daniel Levin Becker (Fern)
To & Fro by Leah Hager Cohen (Bellevue Literary Press)
Melvill by Rodrigo Fresán, translated by Will Vanderhyden (Open Letter)
Lesser Ruins by Mark Haber (Coffee House Press)
Tidal Lock by Lindsay Hill (McPherson & Company)
Overstaying by Ariane Koch, translated by Damion Searls (Dorothy, a publishing project)
The Case of Cem by Vera Mutafchieva, translated by Angela Rodel (Sandorf Passage)
Your Absence is Darkness by Jón Kalman Stefánsson, translated by Philip Roughton (Biblioasis)
Gifted by Suzumi Suzuki, translated by Allison Markin Powell (Transit Books)
Lublin by Manya Wilkinson (And Other Stories)
A total of $35,000 USD will be distributed to the presses and the authors. Each press with a longlisted book will receive $2,000. Five shortlisted books will be rewarded an additional $3,000 each, split equally between publisher and author, or publisher, author, and translator where applicable.
A virtual party celebrating the longlist, with publishers, authors, and translators, will take place on Wednesday, February 19 at 6pm CT. Members of the public are encouraged to join for free on Zoom. The shortlist of five books will be announced on Thursday, February 27 and the winner announced on Wednesday, March 12.
The Republic of Consciousness Prize was founded in 2017 by award-winning novelist Neil Griffiths, who said at the time, “Small presses are a vital element in sustaining the biodiversity of literary culture. Without them, fiction of the highest literary merit, especially experimental and innovative writing, would struggle to find a home, and by extension readers’ choice would be impoverished.”
Originally restricted to books published in the UK, the Prize’s remit was expanded in 2022 by Lori Feathers, who launched a separate award for the US and Canada. About this year’s longlist, she says: “In its third year, the Prize continues to grow in the number of submissions received from extraordinary small presses in the United States and Canada. As our longlist demonstrates, the work of independent publishing is vibrant and diverse. We are proud to include books in translation, works of innovative storytelling, and publishers new to our longlist.It's a great time to celebrate the work of these publishers, authors, and translators”
The longlist was selected by a jury of independent booksellers and small press enthusiasts: Luis Alberto Correa (White Whale Bookstore, Pittsburgh), James Crossley (Leviathan Bookstore, St. Louis), Lori Feathers, Chair (Interabang Books, Dallas), Rebekah Rine (Watermark Books & Cafe, Wichita), Dorian Stuber (Hendrix College, Little Rock), and Chris Via (Leaf by Leaf lit vlog, North Carolina).
“It's been a privilege to work with the other judges under Lori's leadership to create this longlist. How fitting for a prize celebrating the small publishers that bring new stories to readers that each of the books on the longlist foregrounds the act of storytelling itself.” –Dorian Stuber
“Having been involved with the ROC Prize for multiple years, I can attest that the output of small presses in North America is growing both in quantity and in quality.” — James Crossley
About the Republic of Consciousness Prize
The Republic of Consciousness Prize, United States and Canada, was founded in 2022 and is run by volunteers. All prize monies to authors and publishers are funded by donations from members of the public. Donations can be made to the prize here.
For further information, or for an interview about the Prize, contact:
Lori Feathers, lori@interabangbooks.com
www.republicofconsciousnessprize-usa.com
Donate at: https://www.republicofconsciousnessprize-usa.com/donate@usrofc.bsky.social