Newman Prize for Chinese Literature

Newman Prize for Chinese Literature
Inaugural winner Mo Yan
Country	United States of America
Presented by	University of Oklahoma
Reward(s)	$10,000
First awarded	2009
Official website	http://www.ou.edu/uschina/newman/home.html

The Newman Prize for Chinese Literature was established in 2008 by Peter Gries, director of the Institute for U.S.-China Issues at the University of Oklahoma. The first major American award for Chinese literature, the Newman Prize is awarded every two years. It is granted solely on the basis of literary merit, and any living author writing in Chinese is eligible for recommendation. The Prize honors Harold J. and Ruth Newman, whose generosity enabled the establishment of the OU Institute for US-China Issues.

Nominations for candidates and the selection of the winner are both handled by an international jury of distinguished experts, based on a transparent voting process. The winner is awarded US $10,000 and a plaque, and is invited to the University of Oklahoma to participate in an award ceremony and academic activities.

The University of Oklahoma is regarded as one of the foremost centers for studying world literature. It is home to the journals World Literature Today and Chinese Literature Today, and also awards the biennial Neustadt International Prize for Literature.