JERUSALEM (JTA) — Sana Krasikov won the 2009 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature.
The annual award for emerging writers of Jewish literature includes a $100,000 cash prize. It alternates each year between fiction and non-fiction.
Krasikov was recognized for her debut book of short stories. "One More Year," according to a news release from the Jewish Book Council, demonstrates "a fresh vision and evidence of future potential to further contribute to the Jewish literary community."
The themes in the stories include portraits of the new Russian and Georgian immigrants to the United States in the post-Cold War period. Krasikov was born in Ukraine and grew up in the former Soviet republic of Georgia and in the United States.
“Her 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," said Allen Hoffman, a competition judge. "Her elegant, revealing narratives imbue their fragile, vulnerable lives with an imposing dignity.”
Dalia Sofer, author of "The Septembers of Shiraz," was named the 2009 recipient of the $25,000 Sami Rohr Prize Choice Award. Sofer’s first novel tells of the travails of one Jewish family in the period after the Islamic Revolution in Iran.
Sofer was born in Tehran in 1972 and moved to New York City when she was 11.
The awards will be presented in a May ceremony at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Manhattan.
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