Award-winning Sudanese-American writer Safia Elhillo’s Bright Red Fruit is a finalist for the young readers’ category of the Kirkus Prize!

Bright Red Fruit, “an unflinching, honest novel in verse about a teenager’s journey into the slam poetry scene and the dangerous new relationship that could threaten all her dreams” was praised by Kirkus Reviews as “a stunning work that deeply explores poetry, the complexities of identity, and the longing for love.” Bright Red Fruit is among six finalists competing for the young readers’ prize.

“The finalists for the 2024 Kirkus Prize represent the very best of an outstanding crop of fiction, nonfiction, and young readers’ titles published in the U.S. this year,” Kirkus editor-in-chief Tom Beer said in a statement. “They’re all books that speak to our time, and we know they’ll be read for years to come.”

The Kirkus Prize is one of the most prestigious literary awards globally. Established to honor Kirkus Reviews’ decades of insightful and thought-provoking criticism, the award recognizes exceptional books in the categories of fiction, nonfiction, and young readers’ literature. Each of the three awards comes with a $50,000 cash prize. Books become eligible for the prizes by receiving a starred review from Kirkus, a distinction achieved by only about 10% of the books reviewed in the magazine. The three winners will be announced at the Kirkus Prize ceremony on October 16, 2024.

Congratulations & best of luck to Safia Elhillo!