We're so pleased to announce that Lesser Ruins by Mark Haber is one of ten titles longlisted for the 2024 Republic of Consciousness Prize!
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.
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.
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).