The Hindu : An award turned down

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Nov 22, 2003

International

International

An award turned down

London Nov. 21. The author of The Impressionist, Hari Kunzru, has turned down the $5,000 John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, the annual British literary award for young writers. Mr. Kunzru, who is now in India to attend a family wedding, has declined the prize because he disagrees with the political stance of The Mail on Sunday, the official sponsor of the award.

Mr. Kunzru, who was born in the United Kingdom in 1969, did not attend the award ceremony here. His agent read out a message from him, in which, Mr. Kunzru, named among the first 20 most brilliant young writers in Britain, said: "The Mail on Sunday has consistently pursued an editorial policy of vilifying and demonising refugees and asylum-seekers and throughout their political and social coverage there is a pervasive atmosphere of hostility towards Black and Asian people. As the child of an immigrant, I am only too aware of the poisonous effect of the paper's editorial line."

The Editor of The Mail on Sunday, Peter Wright, is reported to have said that he would be interested to hear from Mr. Kunzru which particular article he had found offensive.

— UNI

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