
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]The award recognises the best up-and-coming authors in Europe and is open to countries participating in Creative Europe, the EU funding programme for the cultural and creative sectors.
Announcing the prize
The winners were announced at the opening ceremony of the London Book Fair by Tibor Navracsics, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport.
Speaking at the fair, Tibor Navracsics said:
“My warmest congratulations to the winners of the European Union Prize for Literature! This is the only book award dedicated to the best up-and-coming authors from all over Europe, regardless of their country of origin or language. With this prize and our continued support for translations of literary works, we are helping literature cross borders and enabling readers to enjoy the wealth of writing talent we have. This is crucial: Literature opens the mind, allowing us to come closer together and understand each other better, which is now more vital than ever.”
The European Union Prize for Literature is organised by the European Commission in cooperation with the European Booksellers’ Federation, the European Writers’ Council and the Federation of European Publishers.
This year’s winners are:
- Carolina Schutti (Austria) for Einmal muss ich über weiches Gras gelaufen sein (Once I must have trodden soft grass). Otto Müller Verlag, 2012.
- Luka Bekavac (Croatia) for Viljevo. Fraktura, 2013.
- Gaëlle Josse (France) for Le dernier gardien d’Ellis Island (The last guardian of Ellis Island). Editions Noir sur Blanc, 2014.
- Edina Szvoren (Hungary) for Nincs, és ne is legyen (There Is None, Nor Let There Be). Palatinus, 2012.
- Donal Ryan (Ireland) for The Spinning Heart (Le cœur qui tourne). Doubleday Ireland, 2013.
- Lorenzo Amurri (Italy) for Apnea. Fandango Libri, 2013.
- Undinė Radzevičiūtė (Lithuania) for Žuvys ir drakonai (Fishes and Dragons). Baltos lankos, 2013.
- Ida Hegazi Høyer (Norway) for Unnskyld (Forgive me). Tiden Norsk Forlag, 2014.
- Magdalena Parys (Poland) for Magik (Magician). Świat Książki, 2014.
- David Machado (Portugal) for Índice Médio de Felicidade (Average Happiness Index). Dom Quixote, 2013.
- Svetlana Zuchova (Slovakia) for Obrazy zo života M. (Scenes from the Life of M.). Marenčin PT, 2013.
- Sara Stridsberg (Sweden) for Beckomberga – ode till min familj (The Gravity of Love). Albert Bonniers Förlag, 2014.
About the prize
Every year national juries in a third of participating countries – 12 this time around – nominate the winners.
Each winner receives €5,000. More importantly, they gain international visibility and from the prestige of the award.
Their publishers are encouraged to apply for European funding to get the winning works translated into other languages to reach new audiences.
This year’s winners will receive their awards at a ceremony in Brussels, Belgium, on 23 June.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]