Yousif M. Qasmiyeh's poetry collection shortlisted for the RSL Ondaatje Prize

yousif m qasmiyeh

Congratulations to Yousif M. Qasmiyeh, a Dphil candidate at the English Faculty, whose poetry collection, Writing the Camp, has been shortlisted for the Royal Society of Literature's Ondaatje Prize. The RSL Ondaatje Prize is an annual award of £10,000 for a distinguished work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry, best evoking the spirit of a place. There are six authors on the shortlist, chosen from twenty-one on this year’s longlist. Authors were selected by judges Patrice Lawrence, Chair Sandeep Parmar and Philippe Sands.

Yousif M. Qasmiyeh said “In the refugee camp, the spirit of the place does not only belong to the camp itself, but also, and always, to places that lie before and after the camp. It is a huge honour for Writing the Camp to be shortlisted for the 2022 RSL Ondaatje Prize and for refugees and their places, wherever they are, to be recognised in their own right.”

The 2022 RSL Ondaatje Prize winner will be announced on 4 May. 

writing the camp book cover