Publishers Faber & Faber are thrilled to reveal that one of their books, The Discomfort of Evening has won the International Booker Prize 2020. The book, a bestseller in the Netherlands, was written by a prize-winning young poet, Marieke Lucas Rijneveld. It was her first book and it was translated by Michele Hutchison from Dutch.
The story is set in the rural Netherlands, home of a dedicated farming family. When Jas's older brother joins an ice skating trip, the resentful girl prays to God that he doesn't return. The effect on the family when her prayer is answered is tragic and devastating for the family.
Author Marieke was raised in a Reformed farming family in north Brabant before she moved to Utrecht. Her first poetry collection, Calfskin won the C Buddingh Prize for the best poetry debut in 2015. Atlas Contact published her first novel, which won the prestigious ANV Debut Prize and became a national bestseller. As well as her writing career, Marieke works on a dairy farm.
Translator, Michelle Hutchison was born in the UK but has lived in Amsterdam since 2004. She worked as an editor before becoming a literary translator from Dutch.
Faber members
To celebrate their success, Faber are giving away a copy of the book to ten lucky winners but to apply for one you need to join Faber Members. You can sign up on their website for free and become part of their literary community, discover Faber's curated book recommendations, special competitions and exclusive discounts.
September events include Samantha Irby and Sara Pascoe in conversation, chaired by Anna Fielding on 2 September at 7pm and on 9 September at 7pm Andrew O'Hagan will be in conversation with Edmund Gordon. Tickets are available from Faber's website on www.faber.co.uk/ or for more information email members@faber.co.uk/ The Discomfort of Evening is published in paperback and costs £12.99.
To find out more about the International Booker Prizes contact https://thebookerprizes.com/international-booker/2020
