Valeria Luiselli Wins 2021 Dublin Literary Award

Mexican author Valeria Luiselli has won the 2021 Dublin Literary Award for her novel Lost Children Archive (Vintage). The prize comes with €100,000 in winnings, and is the world’s wealthiest prize for a single novel published in English. Luiselli is the first writer from Mexico, and the fifth woman, to win the award in its 26-year history. The award is sponsored by Dublin City Council, and contenders are nominated by public libraries from around the world; both writers and translators are eligible.

The announcement was made at the opening of the International Literature Festival Dublin, with the presentation taking place at the Irish Consulate in New York City, where Luiselli lives. "I can say, without a hint of doubt, that without books—without sharing in the company of other writers’ human experiences—we would not have made it through these months," Luiselli said in accepting the award. "If our spirits have found renewal, if we have found strength to carry on, if we have maintained a sense of enthusiasm for life, it is thanks to the worlds that books have given us. Each time, we found solace in the companions that live in our bookshelves.”