We are delighted to share the news that Phoebe Power has been shortlisted for this year's Somerset Maugham Award from the Society of Authors, for her debut collection, Shrines of Upper Austria!

The Somerset Maugham Awards are for published works of fiction, non-fiction or poetry by writers under 35, to enable them to enrich their work by gaining experience of foreign countries. Judged by Jen Campbell, Barney Norris and Ian Thomson.

Commenting, Somerset Maugham Awards judge Ian Thomson said:

The quality of writing for the submissions this year was exceptionally good. I was humbled by the literary excellence on display all-round and learned a good deal from the books which I read with such pleasure. Were he alive today, Somerset Maugham ought to be delighted.

Past winners include Hari Kunzru, Helen Oyeyemi, Julian Barnes, Zadie Smith and Jonathan Freedland. The winners in 2018 were Miriam Nash, Fiona Mozley and Kayo Chingonyi. Total prize fund £16,000.

The Society of Authors’ Awards and Summer Party, presented by Jackie Kay and sponsored by the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS), will take place at Southwark Cathedral on the evening of Monday 17th June 2019 and will play host to 500 guests from across publishing and SoA membership. Further awards presented on the evening will include the Eric Gregory Awards for a collection of poems by a poet under 30, the Cholmondeley Awards for a body of work by a poet, the Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical Biography and the Travelling Scholarships awarded to British creative writers to enable them to keep in contact with writing colleagues abroad.

Find out more information, including the rest of the shortlists here: https://www.societyofauthors.org/News/News/2019/May/SoA-Awards-shortlists-announced

Congratulations, Phoebe, and good luck!