In recognition of its innovative syle and bold storytelling, Alyssa Quinn’s debut novel Habilis has been awarded this year’s 15 Bytes Award for Fiction. Published in 2022 by Dzanc Books, Habilis is a mesmerizing confluence of history, science, and personal narrative.
Quinn’s groundbreaking novel follows Lucy, a woman with an enigmatic past, who finds herself in a world where a natural history museum nightly becomes a fantastical discotheque. This setting becomes the stage for a daring exploration into the origins of humanity and the search for the individual self.
“Habilis transcends genres, defying conventional storytelling by interspersing its narrative with exhibit captions and fragmentary histories that together paint a vivid picture of human origin and experience,” write this year’s jurors. “From the mind of Mary Leakey to the struggles of an Indian laborer, and the haunting secrets of a curator, Quinn’s novel presents a challenging, multi-layered text that dives deep into the crevices of anthropology, identity, language, and desire.”
“Quinn brings an intricate knowledge of the literary form to her work,” the jurors continue, “crafting a novel that is both intellectually rich and deeply moving. Its surreal ambience and haunting digressions into the darker side of humanity’s search for origins are balanced by a critique of the narratives we cling to for understanding our place in the world.”
A graduate of Western Washington University (MFA) and the University of Utah (PhD), Quinn now teaches creative writing at Kenyon University. Habilis was preceded by the prose chapbook Dante’s Cartography (The Cupboard Pamphlet, 2019).
In its eleventh year, the 15 Bytes Book Awards recognize excellence in publishing in the categories of Fiction, Poetry, Creative Nonfiction and Art Book. The awards are sponsored by Artists of Utah.
Alyssa Quinn
Habilis
Dzanc Books
2022
211 pp
UTAH’S ART MAGAZINE SINCE 2001, 15 Bytes is published by Artists of Utah, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Categories: Book Awards | Literary Arts
