Ian Penman, a renowned British music journalist, has been awarded the Royal Society of Literature’s Ondaatje Prize for his book "Fassbinder: Thousands of Mirrors." The prize, which comes with a £10,000 award and honors works that vividly evoke the spirit of a place, was announced at a ceremony in London on Tuesday evening, May 14, 2024.
Penman's work is a personal study of the late German filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder. The judging panel, chaired by writer Xiaolu Guo, praised the book for transporting readers to postwar Europe through the lens of Fassbinder's cinema. Fellow judges Francis Spufford and Jan Carson also commended the book for capturing the contrasting scenes of Fassbinder’s 1970s life and Penman’s own experiences as a young music journalist in London.
Ian Penman, who began his journalism career at NME in 1977 and has written for The Wire and The Guardian, is known for his previous essay collections, including "It Gets Me Home, This Curving Track" and "Vital Signs: Music, Movies, and Other Manias." His latest book explores not only Fassbinder’s influence but also reflects on Penman’s personal growth and changing passions over time.
Other shortlisted titles for the prize included "Falling Animals" by Sheila Armstrong, "Enter Ghost" by Isabella Hammad, "A Flat Place" by Noreen Masud, "Cuddy" by Benjamin Myers, and "No Man’s Land" by David Nash. The prize, now in its 20th year, is funded by co-founder Sir Christopher Ondaatje. Previous winners include Lea Ypi, Peter Pomerantsev, Hisham Matar, and Edmund de Waal. Last year’s winner was Anthony Anaxagorou for his poetry collection "Heritage Aesthetics."