Yaa Gyasi: 2020 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Literature

Yaa Gyasi is the recipient of the 2020 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Literature. Yaa is a novelist and the author of Homegoing, a novel exploring family ancestry, the impact of the transatlantic slave trade, and generational trauma. Homegoing has been lauded for its intimate portrayal of the experiences of persons in the Ghanaian and black diasporas. It won the National Book Critics Circle’s John Leonard Prize for best first book and the American Book Award in 2017. Yaa was born in Mampong, Ghana. The Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise are awarded to young immigrant scientists and artists in the United States whose early career work represents a profound advance in their respective fields. Each Creative Promise Prizewinner receives a cash prize of $50,000. https://www.vilcek.org