Brussels, 15 April 2021   55 authors and books from 14 participating countries nominated for the 2021 European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL)

The European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL) recognises emerging fiction writers from across Europe. The award includes 41 countries which are part of the Creative Europe programme – an initiative aiming to strengthen Europe’s cultural and creative sectors. The EUPL was launched in 2009, and since then recognised 135 winning authors through 12 editions. Each year, the EUPL awards one winner per country from a third of participating countries.

The EUPL Consortium comprises the European and International Booksellers Federation (EIBF), the European Writers’ Council (EWC) and the Federation of European Publishers (FEP). Together the three Consortium members have over a decade of experience in organising the European Union Prize for Literature.

This year’s edition will award winners from 14 countries: Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Iceland, Latvia, Malta, Moldova, the Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden, Tunisia.

The winners of the EUPL 2021 edition will be announced on 18 May in a digital event. 

EUPL 2021 shortlist 

We are proud to present 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.