2009 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature

Sana Krasikov recently won the 2009 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature, along with $100,000, for her debut short story collection, One More Year. According to the press release, the Sami Rohr Prize "is the largest monetary prize of its kind in the Jewish literary world, and one of the largest literary prizes worldwide." Allen Hoffman, one of this year’s fiction judges, commented:

[Krasikov's] characters are often alienated and confused, but her stories are always clear and precise, because Krasikov deeply understands her characters' aspirations, fears, and stubborn passion for survival. Her elegant, revealing narratives imbue their fragile, vulnerable lives with an imposing dignity.

I read One More Year last year and gave it a 4.5 out of 5. It was one of the best books I read all year.