The £30,000 Prize is awarded to the best published or produced literary work in the English language, written by an author aged 39 or under.

Speaking about the Dylan Thomas Prize Peter Stead, Founder and President of the International Dylan Thomas Prize, said:   “Dylan Thomas was the Swansea–born poet whose spell-binding words and performances conquered London and North America and identified him as one of the most influential writers of the mid twentieth century. The Prize established in his name has captured the imagination of writers internationally and in recent years thirty short-listed writers from all continents have come to Wales to speak to students and writing classes. The Prize has been won by writers from Wales and Northern Ireland, a Vietnamese Australian and three Americans. Swansea University is the chief sponsor of the Prize and is proud to be associated with a competition that invites entries from young writers from around the world”.

This coming week the seven shortlisted writers will be attending events in London and Wales in advance of the prestigious prize announcement on the evening of Thursday 6^th November at the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea.   

This year’s seven internationally-acclaimed shortlisted writers come from a rich mix of background influences: Wales, England, Ireland, Jamaica, the United States, Russia and New Zealand.

The media are invited to meet the authors at the following locations and times during the week.

Monday 3^rd November - LONDON

Waterstones, 203/206 Piccadilly, London,W1J 9HD – Readings, Q&A and book signings. 1pm-2pm.

Tuesday 4^th November – SWANSEA

Waterstones, The Old Carlton Cinema, 17 Oxford Street,Swansea ,SA1 3AG – Press call, readings, Q&A and book signings.1pm-2pm.

Dylan Thomas’ birthplace, 5 Cwmdonkin Drive, Uplands, Swansea  - Press call, readings and tour. 2:30pm.

Wallace Lecture Theatre, Swansea University campus. One of the judges of the International Dylan Thomas Prize, highly-acclaimed writer and dancer of Welsh-Gujarati descent, Tishani Doshi  will be talking about the challenges of reinterpreting the Mabinogion in her latest book, Fountainville (New Stories from the Mabinogion). 6:00pm. 

Wednesday 5^th November – LAUGHARNE / SWANSEA

Dylan Thomas Boathouse, Dylan's Walk, Laugharne, Carmarthenshire, SA33 4SD –  Press call, readings and tour. 9:30am.

James Callaghan Lecture Theatre, Swansea University campus. Readings and Q&As with students.  2.15pm to 3.15pm - Joshua Ferris, To Rise Again at a Decent Hour (Viking),  Naomi Wood, Mrs Hemingway (Picador) and Kseniya Melnik, Snow in May (Fourth Estate). 3.30pm to 4.30pm - Kei Miller, The Cartographer Tries to Map a Way to Zion (Carcanet Press) , Owen Sheers, Mametz (National Theatre Wales),  Eimear McBride, A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing (Faber & Faber).

Thursday 6^th November – SWANSEA

Dylan Thomas Prize announcement. National Waterfront Museum Swansea. 6pm  (additional diary marker will be issued for this event).

Friday 7^th November – SWANSEA

Dylan Thomas’ birthplace, 5 Cwmdonkin Drive, Uplands, Swansea .  Press call and photos with the winner of the 2014 International Dylan Thomas Prize. 10.30am

For more information about the Dylan Thomas Prize and past winners go to http://www.swansea.ac.uk/dylan-thomas-prize