Canadian writer Kim Thuy among finalists for New Academy Prize in Literature

MONTREAL – A Quebec writer is among the four finalists for the New Academy Prize in Literature.

Author Kim Thuy joins Maryse Conde, Neil Gaiman and Haruki Murakami on the short list for the award.

The new writing accolade was introduced only for this year in the wake of a decision in May by the Swedish Academy, which awards the Nobel Prize for Literature, to forgo the honour in 2018.

A list of candidates was created based on the choices of Swedish librarians, with the 47 writers submitted to a popular vote.

The public elected the four finalists and the winner will be announced Oct. 12.

Thuy says she’s honoured by the nomination but the Vietnamese-born writer doesn’t intend to free up her schedule on Dec. 9, the date of the prize ceremony.

She evaluates her chances of winning at “less than zero” when stacked up against established, veteran writers she considers “stars who are thousands of kilometres ahead (of her).”