Silver City NM- Western New Mexico University’s Writer-in-residence JJ Wilson is once again making waves at the national level via his first novel Damnificados, which tells of a fictional siege on the Tower of David from both outside agents and the local wealth in Caracas, Venezuela.
Since its original publishing date by PM Press in 2016, the novel has won several awards including Forward INDIES Book of the Year in 2016 and the New Mexico-Arizona Book Award this year. Damnificados has also been mentioned on Oprah’s Top 10 List. Most recently, he was honored in Washington, D.C. at the Hurston/Wright Foundation Legacy Awards ceremony, where he received the award for Debut Fiction.
The Hurston/Wright foundation was founded in 1990 by Zora Neale Hurston and Richard Wright, the purpose of this foundation is to ensure the growth and survival of black writers and their literary contributions.
Wilson shares his thoughts on receiving the award saying, “The Hurston/Wright is particularly special to me because it’s an international award for the Black diaspora. This year, nominees came from such countries as the U.K., the U.S. and Nigeria. The organization is very well-established, [and] it promotes both literature and social justice-two elements close to my heart.”
For a more in-depth look at Wilson’s novel, click here.
