Commonwealth Short Story Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 6 (2017) Winner
Ingrid Persaud
イングリッド・パーソード
Ingrid Persaud
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1966-07-06 （Trinidad and Tobago）
- Died
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- Nationality
- Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Trinidad and Tobago (birthplace) → United Kingdom (resident) → United States — Boston (residence) → Barbados (residence)
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Artist, Academic
- Active Years
- 1990-
- Affiliations
- King's College London (taught), The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (Tufts University) (taught)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London School of Economics | Department of Law | Law | — | — | United Kingdom |
| Goldsmiths, University of London | Fine Art | Fine Art | — | — | United Kingdom |
| Central Saint Martins | Fine Art | Fine Art | — | — | United Kingdom |
London School of Economics
Department of Law
/ Law
Country:
United Kingdom
Studied law in London (specific degree and graduation year not publicly specified)
Goldsmiths, University of London
Fine Art
/ Fine Art
Country:
United Kingdom
Studied fine art (specific details not publicly specified)
Central Saint Martins
Fine Art
/ Fine Art
Country:
United Kingdom
Continued studies in fine art (specific details not publicly specified)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Commonwealth Short Story Prize | The Sweet Sop | 短編 | Commonwealth Writers | Won |
| 2018 | BBC National Short Story Award | The Sweet Sop | 短編 | BBC | Won |
| 2020 | Costa Book Award for First Novel | Love After Love | First Novel | Costa Book Awards | Won |
| 2021 | Authors' Club Best First Novel Award | Love After Love | First Novel | Authors' Club | Won |
| 2021 | Diverse Book Awards | Love After Love | Adult | The DB Awards | 2nd Place |
| 2021 | Indie Book Awards (UK) | Love After Love | Fiction | RCW Literary Agency (announced) | Won |
| 2021 | Independent Booksellers' Book Prize | Love After Love | Fiction | Independent Booksellers' Group | Shortlisted |
Commonwealth Short Story Prize
2017
Work:
The Sweet Sop
Category:
短編
Organization:
Commonwealth Writers
Result:
Won
BBC National Short Story Award
2018
Work:
The Sweet Sop
Category:
短編
Organization:
BBC
Result:
Won
Costa Book Award for First Novel
2020
Work:
Love After Love
Category:
First Novel
Organization:
Costa Book Awards
Result:
Won
Authors' Club Best First Novel Award
2021
Work:
Love After Love
Category:
First Novel
Organization:
Authors' Club
Result:
Won
Diverse Book Awards
2021
Work:
Love After Love
Category:
Adult
Organization:
The DB Awards
Result:
2nd Place
Indie Book Awards (UK)
2021
Work:
Love After Love
Category:
Fiction
Organization:
RCW Literary Agency (announced)
Result:
Won
Independent Booksellers' Book Prize
2021
Work:
Love After Love
Category:
Fiction
Organization:
Independent Booksellers' Group
Result:
Shortlisted
Awards & Nominations
Costa Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 50 (2020) Winner
Works
Major Works
Love After Love
2020 NovelSet in contemporary Trinidad, the novel follows the Ramdin–Chetan household from three perspectives — Betty Ramdin, her son Solo, and their lodger Mr Chetan — exploring love, forgiveness, migration and the treatment of gay people in the Caribbean.
LoveFamilyMigrationTreatment of LGBT peopleReligion and spirituality
The Lost Love Songs of Boysie Singh
2024 NovelA novel published in 2024 that explores lost love and elements of Caribbean history and character. Detailed public summaries are limited.
LoveMemoryCaribbean history
The Sweet Sop
2017 Short storyA short story about an estranged father and son reuniting through their shared love of chocolate. The story won major short-story prizes and brought Persaud wider recognition.
FamilyReconciliationFood culture
Bibliography
- Love After Love (2020)
- The Lost Love Songs of Boysie Singh (2024)
- The Sweet Sop (short story, 2017)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Warm yet incisive realismMultiple-perspective narrationIntegration of Caribbean culture, religion and migrant experiences
- Recurring Motifs
- Family and renewalFood (notably chocolate)Migration and bordersReligion and conflicts of faith
Legacy
After winning major short-story prizes with her debut work and earning critical success with Love After Love, Persaud is regarded for her sensitive portrayals of Caribbean migrant and family lives.
Quotes
-
Persaud gives us a captivating interrogation of love in all its forms, how it heals and how it harms, the twists and torments of obsession (mania), sex and romance (eros), family (storge), friendship (philia), acceptance or rejection by the community, and so on.
Source: The Guardian (review) (2020)
Trivia
- Began writing in her 40s after careers as a legal academic and visual artist
- Has identical twin sons
- Won the Commonwealth Short Story Prize (2017) and BBC National Short Story Award (2018) for 'The Sweet Sop'
- 'Love After Love' (2020) won the Costa Book Award for First Novel among other honors