Syrian-Irish writer Suad Aldarra has been awarded the 2024 Rooney Prize for Irish Literature at a ceremony in Trinity College Dublin this evening.
The €10,000 Rooney Prize, awarded annually since 1976, celebrates an outstanding body of work by an emerging Irish writer under 40 years of age. It is administered by the Trinity Oscar Wilde Centre for Creative Writing in the School of English.
Aldarra’s memoir I Don’t Want to Talk About Home, about her experience of fleeing war-torn Syria in 2012, was published by Doubleday/Penguin Random House Ireland in July 2022 and was shortlisted for An Post Irish Book Awards Biography of the Year.
Aldarra, an engineer based in Dublin, said: “Although I’ve been living in Ireland since 2014, it was only when I published my book, I Don’t Want To Talk About Home, that I came close to a true sense of belonging. Being part of the Irish literature network and supported by many generous writers and booksellers is something I will always carry with me.
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“To win the Rooney Prize is a heartwarming surprise beyond my wildest dreams. Having my name among previous talented winners is an honour that will motivate me to continue the rewarding writing path. I’m forever grateful to the judging committee and the Rooney family. Today, I can proudly say I’m no longer a migrant looking for belonging. I’ve found my tribe.”
The jury praised the author’s book for its vivid and eloquent account of life as a migrant. The chair of the prize committee, literary agent Jonathan Williams, said: “It is a pleasure to announce that the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature in 2024 is awarded to Suad Aldarra for her memoir, I Don’t Want to Talk About Home. It is only the second time in the 48-year history of the prize that it has been bestowed on a work of non-fiction.
“Suad’s account of her life as a Syrian migrant is vivid and eloquent – a narrative of displacement and exile. The six members of the judging panel believe that the memoir promises future impressive books from this gifted writer, thus fulfilling the primary objective of the Rooney Prize.”
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The Rooney Prize is the longest-established literary prize in Ireland. It is distinctive in the Irish literary landscape for its recognition of emerging writers and its ability to reward originality and risk. Previous winners include Kate Cruise O’Brien (1979), Neil Jordan (1981), Frank McGuinness (1985), Anne Enright (1991), Mike McCormack (1996), Claire Keegan (2000), Kevin Barry (2007), Lucy Caldwell (2011), Doireann Ní Ghríofa (2016), Seán Hewitt (2022) and Michael Magee (2023).
Benefactor of the prize Dr Peter Rooney congratulated the winner: “Suad Aldarra’s I Don’t Want to Talk About Home is an incredibly moving memoir about the search for home. Aldarra’s deeply moving writing conveys a vivid portrayal of her transcendental homelessness; her sacrifice, bravery, and relentless drive towards finding, and building, a place she can call home.
“Her memoir is not only timely, it is also important. It is important because it gives a personalised voice to the migrant, allowing the reader to feel a much-needed sense of sympathy amidst a barrage of global images where that voice can be lost. We are thrilled to add Suad Aldarra’s name to our prestigious list of Rooney Prize winners.”
Eoin McNamee, director of the Trinity Oscar Wilde Centre at the School of English, said: “Once again it gives everyone at the Oscar Wilde Centre great pleasure to be a part of the Rooney Prize. We are very pleased to provide a home for this important prize. It is vital that young writers be acknowledged and encouraged.
“We are fortunate that two Oscar Wilde graduates have received the prize, and even more fortunate to have another winner, Seán Hewitt, on our staff teaching a new generation. We are deeply indebted to the Rooney family for their support over many years.”
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The selection committee for the Rooney Prize comprises: Jonathan Williams, literary agent (chair); Vincent Woods, playwright, poet and broadcaster; Martina Devlin, author, broadcaster and political commentator; Carlo Gébler, novelist, playwright and prison teacher, TCD; Sinéad Mac Aodha, executive director of Literature Ireland; and Rita Sakr, assistant professor of English, Maynooth University.
Aldarra holds a master’s in data analytics from the University of Galway. Her thesis RefugeesAre.info, which tackles the spreading issue of misinformation about refugees and migrants in the news, won several awards and international recognition. She was selected as the Common Currency writer in residence for the Cuirt International Festival and English/Irish PEN in 2021 and was awarded the Art Councils of Ireland English literature bursary.
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