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European Union Prize for Literature held its 2021 Award Ceremony in Brussels – live & livestreamed
The European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL) 2021 Ceremony took place on 9 November 2021 in the Flagey building, Brussels. The ceremony celebrated the thirteen national laureates of the 2021 edition. The event was also livestreamed on the EUPL’s Facebook channel. The EWC was represented by EWC President Nina George and EWC Vice President Miguel Ángel Serrano together with Myriam Diocaretz, Secretary-General.
The awards were been given by Ms Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Dr Vasko Simoniti, Minister for Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, and Ms Sabine Verheyen MEP, Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education of the European Parliament.
From 2009-2021, the EUPL was organised by a Consortium of associations comprising the European Writers’ Council (EWC), the Federation of European Publishers (FEP), and the European and International Booksellers Federation (EIBF), with the support of the European Commission. Since 2022, the EUPL is organised by FEP and EIBF.
In anticipation of the event, Ms Nina George, President of the European Writers’ Council, said: “On behalf of the European Writers’ Council, we warmly congratulate the winners of this year’s European Union Prize for Literature! We thank you for your tirelessness to observe and tell about the world. You are not only the sources of the book value chain, but your works are the sources of democracy, cultural exchange and a diverse European community. The EUPL 2021 is a special prize: it marks the beginning of a still unclear time “after”. Let us enter these post-crisis years with optimism and accept the challenge to continue writing – and awarding – literature that is as diverse, surprising or unusual as possible.”
Mr Peter Kraus Vom Cleff, President of the Federation of European Publishers, commented: “This year’s 13 EUPL winners showcase the incredible European diversity and literary richness in a fascinating way. And how important it is to systematically help authors so that their works find a translated place in as many European publishing houses as possible.”
Mr Jean-Luc Treutenaere, co-President of the European and International Booksellers Federation, added: “This year’s EUPL Ceremony is a very special one for all of us, but especially for our 2021 laureates. Faced with the difficult circumstances last autumn, the EUPL Consortium had to move the Ceremony online. We are now doubly pleased to be able to celebrate these outstanding literary talents and their great novels in person again and to welcome the wider European literary and cultural community to Brussels for this event. Oh behalf of the EIBF, I wish to warmly congratulate the 13 laureates for this year, and hope to soon be able to discover their novels in many languages and many bookshops around the world.”
EUPL 2021 laureates
- Albania: Enkel Demi (pen name Tom Kuka), Flama (Calamity), Publisher: Botime Pegi.
- Armenia: Արամ Պաչյան (Aram Pachyan), P/F (P/F), Publisher: Էջ հրատարակչություն (Edge publishing house).
- Bulgaria: Георги Бърдаров (Georgi Bardarov), Absolvo te (Absolvo te), Publisher: Musagena.
- Czech Republic: Lucie Faulerová, Smrtholka (Deathmaiden), Publisher: Nakladatelství TORST.
- Iceland: Sigrún Pálsdóttir, Delluferðin (Runaround), Publisher: Forlagið útgáfa (JPV).
- Latvia: Laura Vinogradova, Upe (The River), Publisher: Zvaizgne ABC.
- Malta: Lara Calleja, Kissirtu kullimkien (You’ve Destroyed Everything), Publisher: Merlin Publishers.
- Netherlands: Gerda Blees, Wij zijn licht (We are light), Publisher: Uitgeverij Podium.
- Portugal: Frederico Pedreira, A Lição do Sonâmbulo (The Sleepwalker’s Lesson), Publisher: Companhia das Ilhas.
- Serbia: Dejan Tiago Stanković, Zamalek (Zamalek), Publisher: Laguna.
- Slovenia: Anja Mugerli, Čebelja družina (Bee Family), Publisher: Cankarjeva založba.
- Sweden: Maxim Grigoriev, Europa (Europe), Publisher: Albert Bonniers Förlag.
- Tunisia: أمين الغزي (Amine Al Ghozzi), زندالي ليلة 14 جانفي 2011 (Zindali, the night of 14 january 2011), Publisher: زينب للنّشر و التوزيع (Editions Zayneb).
The 2021 laureate for each country was selected by a national jury of experts in the fields of literature, publishing and bookselling. The 13 winning books and authors were revealed during a video broadcast on 18 May at 2:00 PM CEST. Their names were individually announced by a representative of each national jury.
Mariya Gabriel, the European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, and Graça Fonseca, the Minister of Culture of Portugal, congratulated the winning laureates.
Commissioner Gabriel said: “The EU Prize for Literature celebrates and promotes the incredible creativity and diversity that can be found in Europe’s contemporary literature scene. The immense value of literature is more apparent now than ever before. Having lived under the shadow of Covid for more than a year, books have become “essential”. Congratulations to the laureates!”
“My congratulations to all the award winning authors, who thus become part of this honourable list of winners of the European Union Prize for Literature. May their imagination continue to make our reality better through its works and talent,” said Graça Fonseca, the Minister of Culture of Portugal.
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EUPL 2021 shortlist
The 2021 shortlist for the European Union Prize for Literature (the list below is in alphabetical order):
Albania
Ana Kove, Kambanat e së dielës (Bells on Sunday), publisher: Toena
Brajan Sukaj, Viti i Elefantit (The Year of the Elephant), publisher: Ombra GVG
Liridon Mulaj, Mos harro të më kujtosh (Don’t forget to remember me), publisher: Onufri
Loer Kume, Amygdala Mandala (Amygdala Mandala), publisher: UET Press
Tom Kuka, Flama (Calamity), publisher: Pegi
Armenia
Արամ Ավետիս (Аram Avetis), Երբ առնետները կարդալ գիտեին (When Rats Could Read), publisher: Actual Art Publishing House
Արամ Պաչյան (Aram Pachyan), P/F, Publisher: Edge Publishing House
Անուշ Սարգսյան (Anoush Sargsyan), Անոն (Ano), publisher: Antares Publishing House
Հովիկ Աֆյան (Hovik Afyan), Կարմիր (Red), publisher: Antares Publishing House
Լուսինե Խառատյան (Lusine Kharatyan), Անմոռուկի փակուղի (The Dead End Forget-me-not), publisher: Granish
Bulgaria
Георги Бърдаров (Georgi Bardarov), Absolvo te (Absolvo te), publisher: Musagena
Стефан Коспартов (Stefan Kospartov), Гълъбария (Pigeonland), publisher: Ciela Norma
Владислав Кацарски (Vladislav Katsarski), Загърбената земя (The Abandoned Land), publisher: Vessela Ljutzkanova
Зорница Гъркова (Zornitsa Garkova), Те никога не казват (They Never Say), publisher: Fama
Czech Republic
Anna Bolavá, Před povodní (Before The Flood), publisher: Odeon
Daniel Hradecký, Tři kapitoly (Three Chapters), publisher: Listen
Lucie Faulerová, Smrtholka (Deathmaiden), publisher: Torst
Matěj Hořava, Mezipřistání (Stopover), publisher: Host
Miřenka Čechová, Baletky (Ballerinas), publisher: Paseka
Iceland
Benný Sif Ísleifsdóttir, Hansdætur (Hansdaughters), publisher: Mál og menning
Bergþóra Snæbjörnsdóttir, Svínshöfuð (Pighead), publisher: Benedikt
Jónas Reynir Gunnarsson, Dauði skógar (Death of a Forest), publisher: JPV útgáfa
Sigrún Pálsdóttir, Delluferðin (The Nonsense Trip), publisher: JPV útgáfa
Yrsa Þöll Gylfadóttir, Strendingar (Prisms), publisher: Bjartur
Latvia
Jana Egle, Dzimšanas diena (Birthday), publisher: Latvijas Mediji
Laura Vinogradova, Upe (The River), publisher: Zvaigzne ABC Publishers
Rasa Bugavičute-Pēce, Puika, kurš redzēja tumsā (The Boy Who Could See in the Dark), publisher: Latvijas Mediji
Svens Kuzmins, Hohma (Hokhmah), publisher: Dienas Grāmata
Malta
Joe Pace, Papa Aħmed (Pope Ahmed), publisher: Merlin Publishers
Lara Calleja, Kissirtu Kullimkien (You’ve Destroyed Everywhere), publisher: Merlin Publishers
Moldova
Lucreția Bârlădeanu, Misterul de Est (The Eastern Mistery), publisher: Arc
Nicolae Spătaru, Măștile lui Brejnev (Brezhnev’s Masks), publisher: Paralela 45 Publishing House
The Netherlands
Gerda Blees, Wij zijn licht (We are light), publisher: Podium
Jente Posthuma, Waar ik liever niet aan denk (Which I rather not think about), publisher: Uitgeverij Pluim
Raoul de Jong, Jaguarman (Jaguarman), publisher: De Bezige Bij
Portugal
Ana Margarida de Carvalho, O gesto que fazemos para proteger a cabeça (The gesture we make to protect the head), publisher: Relógio D’Água
Frederico Pedreira, A lição do Sonâmbulo (The Sleepwalker’s Lesson), publisher: Companhia das Ilhas
Isabel Rio Novo, Rua de Paris em dia de Chuva (Paris street in rainy day), publisher: D Quixote
João Pinto Coelho, Um tempo a fingir (A time to pretend), publisher: D Quixote
Serbia
Dejan Tiago Stanković, Zamalek (Zamalek), publisher: Laguna
Filip Grujić, Podstanar (Tenant), publisher: Lom
Savo Stijepović, Prekrasne ruševine (Beautiful ruins), publisher: Dereta
Zvonka Gazivoda, Hostel Kalifornija (Hotel California), publisher: Geopoetika
Slovenia
Anja Mugerli, Čebelja družina (Bee Family), publisher: Cankarjeva založba
Davorin Lenko, Psihoporn (Psychoporn), publisher: Cankarjeva založba
Gašper Kralj, Škrbine (Stubs), publisher: Založba /*cf.
Jernej Županič, Behemot (The Behemoth), publisher: Beletrina
Sweden
Balsam Karam, Singulariteten (Singularity), publisher: Norstedts
Johanne Lykke Holm, Strega (Strega), publisher: Albert Bonniers förlag
Maxim Grigoriev, Europa (Europe), publisher: Albert Bonniers förlag
Pooneh Rohi, Hölje (Schroud), publisher: Ordfront
Tone Schunnesson, Dagarna, dagarna, dagarna (Days, Days, Days), publisher: Norstedts
Tunisia
Amin Al-Ghazzi, زندالي.. ليلة 14 جانفي 2011 (Zindali, the night of 14 january 2011), publisher: Zeineb éditions
Béchir Garbouj, L’Emirat (The Emirate), publisher: Déméter
Saber Mansouri, Sept morts audacieux et un poète assis (Seven daring deaths and a seated poet), publisher: Elyzad
The shortlist for each country has been selected by a national jury of literary experts. More information about jury composition and 2021 members can be found here.
