PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel
1 appearances
-
Edition 38 (2013) Nominee
Vaddey Ratner
ヴァッディ・ラトナー
Vaddey Ratner
Aliases:
Vaddey Ayuravann Sisowath
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1970 （Kingdom of Cambodia）
- Nationality
- United States, Cambodia
- Languages
- English, Khmer
- Residence History
- Cambodia → Thailand (Khao-I-Dang refugee camp) → Missouri → Washington D.C. area → Malaysia → Thailand → Cambodia → Potomac, Maryland
Career
- Occupations
- Author, Novelist
- Active Years
- 2012-
- Nominations
- 2013 Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award Finalist, 2013 Indies Choice Book Award Finalist, 2018 Aspen Words Literary Prize Longlist
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornell University | — | Asian history and literature | summa cum laude | 1990-1994 | United States |
Cornell University
Asian history and literature
Degree:
summa cum laude
Period:
1990-1994
Year of Graduation:
1994
Country:
United States
Entered after high school graduation as valedictorian. Specialized in Asian history and literature, graduated summa cum laude.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | American Booksellers Association Adult Debut Honor Award | In the Shadow of the Banyan | — | American Booksellers Association | Honor Award |
American Booksellers Association Adult Debut Honor Award
2013
Work:
In the Shadow of the Banyan
Organization:
American Booksellers Association
Result:
Honor Award
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
In the Shadow of the Banyan
2012 Historical FictionA semi-autobiographical novel based on the author's childhood experiences under the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. A five-year-old girl endures forced labor, starvation, and persecution with her family.
Khmer Rouge genocideSurvivalFamilyCambodian royalty
Music of the Ghosts
2017 Historical FictionA Khmer Rouge survivor confronts the reality of contemporary Cambodia and her past.
TraumaRedemptionCambodian memory
Bibliography
- In the Shadow of the Banyan (2012)
- Music of the Ghosts (2017)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Lyrical prosePoetic narrative
- Recurring Motifs
- Memory of genocideGhostsRegeneration
Health
-
Khmer Rouge persecution and starvation1975-1979Loss of family, refugee life. Influenced her writing.
Legacy
Recognized for her novels depicting the Khmer Rouge era in Cambodia, valued for preserving the memory of the genocide.
Trivia
- Born into the Sisowath line of the Cambodian royal family.
- Survivor of the Khmer Rouge genocide.
- High school valedictorian, graduated summa cum laude from Cornell.