Kiriyama Prize
きりやましょう
International literary award for books on the Pacific Rim and South Asia. Established in 1996, discontinued in 2008.
- Established
- 1996
- Organizer
- Pacific Rim Voices (San Francisco-based non-profit organization)
- Category
- Nonfiction and Documentary Literature
- Selection Method
- Open call
- Target
- Open
- Frequency
- 1 per year
- Status
- Ended
Description
The Kiriyama Prize was an international literary award established in 1996 to promote understanding between regions by targeting books about the Pacific Rim and South Asia. Operated by Pacific Rim Voices (San Francisco-based non-profit organization), it awarded a total of $30,000 (evenly split between fiction and nonfiction winners). Eligible works were books related to the life and culture of sub-regions such as the North Pacific, Southeast Asia/South Pacific, the Americas, or the Indian subcontinent, written in English or translated into English. Publisher submissions were required, with 5-member judging panels for fiction and nonfiction respectively conducting selection from November to February. Finalists were announced at the end of February, and winners at the end of March. The final awards were in 2008.
Prize
- Main Prize
- Total $30,000 (evenly split between fiction and nonfiction winners)
- Cash Prize
- 30,000 USD
- Split and awarded to Fiction Prize and Nonfiction Prize
- In the early years (1996-1998), only one category was awarded
Selection
Selection Process
| Stage | Judges | Pass Rate | Announcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry (submission) | Publishers submit books (publisher submission system) | — | Submission deadline around the end of October every year |
| Selection (judging panel review) | 5-member judging panels for fiction and nonfiction respectively (e.g., Alan Cheuse, Gish Jen, Maxine Hong Kingston, Lisa See, etc.) | — | Judging conducted between November and February |
| Finalists announcement and awards | Final decision by the judging panel | — | Finalists announced at the end of February, winners announced at the award ceremony at the end of March |
Criteria
- Deals with important themes related to life and culture in the Pacific Rim or South Asia
- Written in English or translated into English
- Submitted by publisher (no individual submissions)
- Judged in both fiction and nonfiction categories
Application Tips
Dos
- 応募前に書籍が太平洋圏または南アジアの生活・文化に関して重要な内容を扱っていることを確認する
- 出版社を通じて期日（毎年10月末頃）までに提出する
- 英語版または質の高い英訳を用意する（翻訳作品が対象）
- 著作の地域理解や独自性を明確に伝えるサポート資料を用意する
Don''ts
- 対象地域と関係の薄い書籍を提出しない
- 出版社を通さず個人で直接応募しない（出版社提出制）
- 審査期間中に審査員に直接連絡を取らない
From Judges
- 地域の文化や社会について深い洞察が示されていることを重視する
- 翻訳作品は翻訳の質が評価に大きく影響するため、良質な翻訳を心がける
- 単なる旅行記以上に、その地域の複雑さや多様性に対する理解が表れていることが望ましい
Related Awards
- List of literary awards