The Twin, a debut novel by Dutch author Gerbrand Bakker, has won the 2010 International IMPAC DUBLIN Literary Award. The Award is organized by Dublin City Libraries, on behalf of Dublin City Council and sponsored by IMPAC, an international management productivity company. The prize is €100,000. It is the largest prize for a single novel and will be divided between the author and the novel’s translator, David Colmer, who will receive €25,000. Uniquely, the IMPAC DUBLIN receives its nominations from public libraries around the globe.
The Twin beat off competition from 155 other titles, nominated by 163 public libraries from 43 countries. Translated from the original Dutch by David Colmer, The Twin was first published in English by Harvill Secker, UK in 2008 and in Dutch by Cossee, Amsterdam in 2006. The shortlist of eight novels included novels from the USA, UK, France, Germany and Netherland by Irish author Joseph O’Neill.
“Gerbrand Bakker joins a long list of eminent novelists to win this award” said the Lord Mayor and Patron of the Award, Cllr. Emer Costello, “and having a novel in translation as the winner, means that this beautifully written Dutch novel will come to the attention of readers world-wide, who might otherwise never have come across it. Dublin City Council and IMPAC are extremely proud that the IMPAC DUBLIN Award has grown into one of the highlights, not only of the Irish, but also of the international literary calendar”.
The Twin was nominated by Public Libraries in Amsterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, and Eindhoven.
