2019 Saba Literary Prize Finalists Revealed
The finalists of Georgia’s main literary contest Saba, which is held for 17th time this year, have been announced.
The jury worked for several months and nominated 6 categories of nominees. The finalists nominated in the "Best Georgian Translation of Foreign Work" category will be announced in two weeks. This year, the Saba prize will not be given for "Best Literary Review of the Year", as the jury failed to reveal finalists in the mentioned category.
The awarding ceremony will be held at the end of November. Until then, check out the finalists' works and wait for the winners!
The full list of winners of the Saba Literary Prize 2019 are:
Novel of the Year
Aka Morchiladze, "Cupidon at the Kremlin Wall" (Bakur Sulakauri Publishing House)
Zurab Karumidze, "Untergang: A Journey to Europe" (Intellect Publishing House)
Iva Fezuashvili, “The Gospel of the Seabed” (Intellect Publishing House)
Prose Collection of the Year
Ina Archuashvili, "I Wait for No One Now" (Intellect Publishing House)
Zaal Samadashvili, "Meeting the Master" (Intellect Publishing House)
Nato Davitashvili, “Return - Humans and Others" (Karchkhadze Publishing)
Guram Megrelishvili, “Alternative Map of Georgia’’ (Intellect Publishing House)
Poetry Collection of the Year
Beka Akhalaia, "Iona of Doves" (Intellect Publishing House)
Zaza Bibilashvili, "Puzzle" (Nodar Dumbadze Publishing)
Eter Tataraidze, "Two, Three, Four" (Meridian Publishing)
Essay and Documentary Prose of the Year
Irakli Makharadze, "Convoy - Georgian Guards of the Russian Emperors" (Bakur Sulakauri Publishing House)
Nino Lomadze, "Apple Gardens" (Indigo Publishing)
David Tserediani, "Themes and Variations" (Intellect Publishing House)
Salome Benidze, Dina Oganova, "sHEROes" (Books in Batumi)
Lana Gogoberidze, "Speeches, Interviews, Letters" (Chamber of Culture of Georgia)
Sulkhan Saladze, "Unknown Old Adjara" (Batumelebi Newspaper)
Debut of the Year
Niels Simeon (George Maskharashvili), Theory of 14 Crystals (Bakur Sulakauri Publishing)
Nefertari (Nino Chipashvili), Bedouin (Bakur Sulakauri Publishing)
Temur Babluani, "Sun, Moon and Wheat Field (Manushaka Waits for Me) (Bakur Sulakauri Publishing)
David Gorgiladze, "God is at Work" (Intellect Publishing House)
Ilia Chanturia, "25, Ninoshvili Street" (Intellect Publishing House)
Play of the Year
Mikho Mosulishvili, The Spider (saba.com.ge)
Basa Janikashvili, "Spirits and Like-minded" (Intellect Publishing House)
Aleksandre Lortkipanidze, "Distoplays" (Books in Batumi)
The annual Literary Award Saba, founded by TBC Bank back in 2003, is now the most prestigious and influential award in Georgia.
Each year, the jury reviews literary compositions (novels, poetic/prosaic collections, documentary prose, translations etc.) and Georgian translations of foreign texts of the previous year.
By Ana Dumbadze