Open Letter Wins Republic of Consciousness Prize for MELVILL
March 12, 2025
Open Letter Wins Republic of Consciousness Prize, United States and Canada
The third annual Republic of Consciousness Prize, United States and Canada, which celebrates the commitment of independent presses to fiction of exceptional literary merit, has announced its 2024 winner:
Open Letter for Melvill, by Rodrigo Fresán, translated from the Spanish by Willanderhyden.
About the winning title, Prize judge Dorian Stuber says, "Opening Rodrigo Fresán’s Melvill, readers will know from the array of footnotes on the first few pages that this book is for the head. But the further they get into its gorgeous prose, so dizzyingly translated by Will Vanderhyden, the more they will see that it’s also for the heart. Fresán imagines the future whaler and scribbler as a boy, loitering at the foot of his father’s sickbed, listening to the man tell fevered stories of his life, stories the boy will later mine for his works. How satisfying that the tale of how one of the great American writers came to be, should be told by an Argentinian who has lived for decades in Spain. For Melville, like the United States itself, belongs to everyone. And now, thanks to Open Letter, so does Melvill."
Judge Luis Alberto Correa says of the Prize as a whole, "What a joy it was to survey the best work from publishers who put themselves out on the line every day with daring and bold literature. Though the award may be for US and Canadian publishers, we were able to read books from around the world, from many walks of life—and even a few from a different century—with new turns of phrase and perspectives that push the bounds of what a book can do. I hope this award can put a spotlight not only on these particularly spectacular titles but further invites readers to explore the rest of what these amazing authors, translators, and presses have published and what is yet to come."
A total of $35,000 US will be distributed to the ten presses, authors, and translators named as finalists for the Prize. Each press included in the longlist will receive $2,000. The five shortlisted books will be awarded an additional $3,000 each, split equally between the publisher and author, or publisher, author, and translator, where applicable.
A jury of independent booksellers and small press enthusiasts judged the 2024 Prize: 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).
A virtual party to celebrate the longlist with publishers, authors, translators, and members of the public was held on February 19. You can view a recording of that event here.
Open Letter joined forces with Deep Vellum last month, in an innovative partnership with the University of Rochester. Since its founding in 2013, Deep Vellum has grown rapidly to become one of the largest U.S. publishers of literature in translation. Open Letter joined the publishing house as one of six distinct imprints, alongside Dalkey Archive Press, A Strange Object, Phoneme Media, Fum d’Estampa, and La Reunion. As of the end of 2024, Deep Vellum and its imprints have published more than 1,200 books from over 80 languages and 100 countries.
About the Republic of Consciousness Prize:
The Republic of Consciousness Prize was founded in 2017 by award-winning British 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.”
The Republic of Consciousness Prize in the United States and Canada was founded in 2022 and is run by volunteers. All prize monies to publishers, authors, and translators are funded by donations from members of the public. More information about the prize can be found here.