Pascale Petit has won the 2018 RSL Ondaatje Prize with Mama Amazonica (Bloodaxe Books). The annual Prize of £10,000 is awarded for a distinguished work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry, evoking the spirit of a place.This is the first time in the Prize’s 14 year history that a poetry collection has won.

Mama Amazonica is an unforgettable read – rich with metaphor, the poems explode on the page with the multiple narratives of motherhood, illness, pain, and redemption. All of this set in a rainforest that is both mythic and vividly alive. This is a book that feels almost magical in its unlikeliness, and that for me is what made it a clear winner.

Tahmima Anam – RSL Ondaatje 2018 Judge

For more information on the winner and other shortlisted authors, please see our press release.