More literary honors for Elizabeth Graver's 'Kantika'
Professor of English Elizabeth Graver鈥檚 acclaimed 2023 novel Kantika鈥攍auded by The New York Times as an 鈥渆xquisitely imagined family saga [that] spans cultures and continents鈥濃�攃ontinues to garner prestigious literary honors.
In September, Kantika was announced by the Massachusetts Center for the Book (MCB) as the winner of the Massachusetts Book Award for Fiction for 2023, while Graver received the Boston Authors Club鈥檚 Julia Ward Howe Prize in Fiction.
Graver鈥檚 fifth novel, Kantika was inspired by her grandmother, who was born into a Sephardic Jewish family in Istanbul and whose shape-shifting life journey took her to Spain, Cuba, and New York.
鈥淭his well-researched novel is a multigenerational tale of a Sephardic family鈥檚 dislocations, hardships, and joys,鈥� according to the MCB award announcement.
Among other literary honors, Kantika鈥攏amed by The New York Times as one of the 10 Best Historical Fiction novels and 100 Notable Books of 2023鈥攚on the 2023 Edward Lewis Wallant Award, one of the oldest and most prestigious Jewish literary awards in the United States. It also was chosen as a National Jewish Book Award winner, with The Sephardic Culture Mimi S. Frank Award in Memory of Becky Levy.
The MCB program鈥攏ow in its 24th year鈥攃elebrates significant achievements in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translated literature, and young people鈥檚 literature by Massachusetts writers, illustrators, and translators. Award winners are chosen by a panel of judges from the writing, academic, publishing, bookselling, and library communities, who come together to select 鈥渂ooks that haunt and inspire, books that motivate us to think, feel, and learn,鈥� according to MCB Executive Director Courtney Andree.
MCB is the state affiliate of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, charged with developing, supporting, and promoting cultural programming to advance the cause of books, reading, and libraries across Massachusetts.
On October 8, MCB will host a celebration of the 2024 Massachusetts Book Awards at the State House.
Graver received her Julia Ward Howe Prize award on September 17 at the Waterworks Museum in Chestnut Hill. Awarded for more than two decades and named after the Boston Authors Club鈥檚 first president, the prizes鈥攊n fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and the young reader categories鈥攔ecognize exceptional books by Boston-area authors.
鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled that Kantika has received the Massachusetts Book Award for Fiction from the wonderful Massachusetts Center for the Book,鈥� Graver wrote on .听鈥淚 feel so lucky to live in a state with such a rich literary history and current scene and to be, with this award, in the company of dozens of writers I admire, both on this year鈥檚 list and from years past.
鈥淚 wish my grandmother were alive to clap and sing out in her inimitable way upon learning of this beautiful award.鈥澨�
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