Creative Writing alumna Ceren Uzuner wins 2022 Graduation Prize
- Creative Writing
- ArtEZ Prizewinner
Ceren Uzuner wins the Afstudeerprijs 2022 with her graduation text Je zal mijn ouders nooit ontmoeten ('You will never meet my parents'). Ceren, who graduated this year from the Bachelor's course Creative Writing at ArtEZ Academy of Art & Design Arnhem, received the prize on Oct. 28 in Arnhem during the industry day of festival Nieuwe Types. She surprised the jury with a beautifully written, unique, sharp and critical work that was above all casual.
For the eighth time in a row, Wintertuin awarded the Graduation Prize to the student with the best graduation work.
Winner and prizes
During the awards ceremony on Friday 28 October, as part of the industry day of festival New Types in Arnhem's Theater a/d Rijn, chairman Sholeh Rezazadeh read the jury report. The jury admired "the diverse beauty in such a young group of creators and regretted being able to award only one work." Nevertheless, a convincing winner emerged for them.
About Ceren's graduation work, the jury said, "A beautifully written, unique, sharp, critical work, which is above all casual. Thanks to the strong images, everyone was immediately in the middle of the story and wanted to stay there as long as possible. A bittersweet story that needs to be told and read."
Ceren received a check worth €500 (made available by the participating programs), performed during the evening program of New Types and will receive publication on a platform yet to be determined. In addition, the winner and the other nominees will perform at various festivals and venues, including Mensen Zeggen Dingen, Woordnacht and Frontaal.
The jury and nominees
The jury of the Graduation Prize 2022 consisted of Sholeh Rezazadeh (author), Jibbe Willems (playwright, editor and translator), Maud Vanhauwaert (teacher, poet) and Esma Moukhtar (teacher, editor, author). In addition to winner Ceren Uzuner with Je zal mijn ouders nooit ontmoeten (Creative Writing, ArtEZ), Mila Haak (Schijnbaar eindeloos - Writing for Performance, HKU), Wietse Leenders (Hannah or the fall - Creative writing, ArtEZ), Tine Tabak (De Regenrenner - Writing for Performance, HKU), Mona Thijs (Schootheuvel - Word Art, Royal Conservatory of Antwerp) and Ilse van der Velden (ROL - Creative Writing, ArtEZ) were also nominated for the prize.