Open Letter: Awards, News, & Notes
MELVILL looking for some wins, special offer, audiobooks, and more
Although we have a bigger, more instrumental update coming in the near future, we wanted to highlight some of the goings on at Open Letter right now, starting with Melvill by Rodrigo Fresán & Will Vanderhyden, which is in the running for not one, but two major awards.
The first major award Melvill is in the running for is the Republic of Consciousness Prize for U.S. and Canada. (Leaving this place blank for you to make your own joke.) Founded by Interabang Books co-owner Lori Feathers, this prize is modeled after the UK Republic of Consciousness Prize, and highlights books from small presses (average income under $750K), with the prize money split between the publisher and author (and translator, when applicable).
It’s true every year, but the longlist for this year’s award (which you can find here) is absolutely stunning. Every single book on here I’ve either read, or have on my “to read” wishlist. (Which, given this year’s judges, is not terribly surprising.) In fact, I interviewed Mark Haber about Lesser Ruins for the Three Percent podcast, and will be writing about Your Absence is Darkness by Jón Kalman Stefánsson & Philip Roughton in the not too distant future. Truly, it’s an honor for Melvill to be included.
If you’re interested, next Wednesday (February 19), from 7-9pm ET, there will be a special virtual event featuring readings and discussions about all the longlisted titles. It’s free and open to the public. You can find the zoom link here.
The shortlist will be unveiled on February 27, and the winner on March 12.
And, shortly after the Republic of Consciousness Prize for the U.S. and Canada is announced, Fresán and Vanderhyden will be in NYC for all of the National Book Critics Circle Award Festivities—the pre-award readings and the award ceremony itself—since Melvill was shortlisted for the Gregg Barrios Book in Translation Prize alongside five other bangers. (Including László Krasznahorkai & Ottilie Mulzet’s Herscht 07769, which I’m slowly working my way through and loving.)
All three of the events (including the special reception after the award ceremony itself) are open to the public. You need to register for all of them, with the readings and award ceremonies being free (with a suggested donation of $20, which I also suggest), and the reception costing $75–$100 (depending on if you’re a member of the NBCC). You can also stream the readings and award ceremony (not the reception, although that would be wild) at the NBCC YouTube channel.
While we’re talking about podcasts and special discounts on Open Letter Books, I want to remind you that the 30% sale on all Open Letter titles* is running through the end of the month: just use the code LIFE at checkout.
This is in response to the Life on Books podcast episode about “The Publishers Fighting to Keep Literature Alive,” which featured Open Letter alongside several of our compatriots like New Directions and Deep Vellum.
We’re all big fans of Tony and Andy (aka Metafictional Meathead) and all they do, so take advantage of the sale and subscribe to their podcast! (Apple, Spotify.)
* We can’t ship overseas at this time (way too expensive to justify), so regretfully this is U.S. only, and doesn’t include subscriptions or merch.
And while we’re talking audio writ large, I wanted to draw your attention to all of the Open Letter titles that are now available in audiobook form.
Nine are pictured and listed below, and two titles are forthcoming: Of Beasts and Fowls by Pilar Adón & Katie Whittemore (2/25/25) and Mother River by Can Xue & Karen Gernant & Chen Zeping (4/22/25). (Links go to the official RB media listing, where you can find links to all non-Audible sources for acquiring these books—including via your library. If you want the print books, visit these for Of Beasts and Fowls and Mother River.)
River by Laura Vinogradova & Kaija Straumanis (RB Media, Print)
Mothers Don’t by Katixa Agirre & Katie Whittemore (RB Media, Audible, Print)
Melvill by Rodrigo Fresán & Will Vanderhyden (RB Media, Audible, Print)
Vertical Motion by Can Xue & Karen Gernant & Chen Zeping (RB Media, Audible, Print)
Frontier by Can Xue & Karen Gernant & Chen Zeping (RB Media, Audible, Print)
On Time & Water by Andri Snær Magnason & Lytton Smith (RB Media, Audible, Print)
Four by Four by Sara Mesa & Katie Whittemore (RB Media, Audible, Print)
Pachinko Parlor by Elisa Shua Dusapin & Aneesa Abbas Higgins (RB Media, Audible, Print)
Not Even the Dead by Juan Gómez Bárcena & Katie Whittemore (RB Media, Audible, Print)
Forthcoming Open Letter Titles:
The Fake Muse by Max Besora & Mara Faye Lethem (2/18)
The River by Laura Vinogradova & Kaija Straumanis (3/4)
Berlin by Andris Kuprišs & Ian Gwin (3/11)
Birthday by Jana Egle & Uldis Balodis (3/18)
Attila by Javier Serena & Katie Whittemore (4/1)
Attila by Aliocha Coll & Katie Whittemore (4/1)
VZ: Volodymyr Zelenskyi and the Making of a Nation by Dmitri Bykov & John Freedman (6/10)
A Father Is Born by Andrés Neuman & Robin Myers (7/8)
. . . And, as always, get these and more with an Open Letter subscription!