About

Primary goal of the EUPL

The primary goal of the European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL) is to celebrate and promote Europe’s rich and diverse contemporary literary scene by recognising outstanding fiction books by emerging authors from the 40 countries participating in the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union. The EUPL brings their works into the spotlight, encourage translations and extends their reach beyond national borders, and fosters a more interconnected and inclusive European literary scene.

  • The winner will receive EUR 10 000 as well as financial contribution for two translations
  • The two special mentions will receive EUR 5000 as well as financial contribution for one translation
  • The other shortlisted authors will receive financial contribution for one translation.
  • All the shortlisted authors will be actively promoted on key book fair throughout Europe
  • A booklet with excerpts from the works of all shortlisted authors will be published in original language and translated into English
    EUPL is co-financed by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union

Key objectives

Connected to EUPL’s primary goal are several other key objectives:

Showcasing Literary Diversity

Recognises authors from various linguistic and cultural backgrounds, including those writing in lesser-spoken languages. The EUPL supports translations to ensure its authors reach a wider readership.

Enhancing Visibility and Career Growth

Provides emerging writers with a platform to gain recognition and new opportunities, often serving as a baseline for international success.

Encouraging Cross-Cultural Dialogue

Promotes literary works that foster cultural exchange and mutual understanding, thus enhancing our shared European identity.

Supporting Creative Europe’s Goals

Facilitates cross-border mobility for cultural professionals and expands the circulation of European literary works.

Reinforcing the European book ecosystem by creating Networking and Promotion Opportunities

Organises events at international book fairs, book festivals, and bookshops to connect the different elements of the book value chain from authors to readers including translators, publishers, booksellers, promotion agencies and other professionals from the book sector

Championing Inclusivity and Diversity

Amplifies underrepresented voices, ensuring literature reflects Europe’s diverse experiences while upholding values of acceptance and equality.

By achieving these objectives, the European Union Prize for Literature continues to shape an inclusive literary landscape, bringing European stories to global audiences.

History of the EUPL

Established in 2009, the European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL) was created by a consortium formed by the European and International Booksellers Federation (EIBF), the Federation of European Publishers (FEP), and the European Writers’ Council (EWC). The prize aimed to celebrate the richness and diversity of contemporary European literature by highlighting emerging literary voices across the continent.

From 2009 to 2021, during the prize’s first three cycles, one winner from each participating country was selected annually. Each year, approximately one third of the countries involved in the Creative Europe programme were featured. This rotating system brought national literary talents to an international audience, encouraging the translation of their works and fostering cross-border cultural exchange. In 2018, marking the 10th edition of the prize, EUPL organised a virtual and physical journey through the literary Europe, in addition to hosting a writing contest exclusively open to all previous 108 EUPL winners, who won the award between 2009 and 2017.

In 2022, the start of the fourth cycle introduced major changes to the structure of the EUPL. The organizing consortium -composed of EIBF and FEP - reimagined the selection process. Rather than awarding one winner per country, a seven-member European jury began selecting a single overall winner for each edition, alongside five special mentions—marking a shift toward a more unified and competitive model.

The 2022-2024 triennium also saw two major milestones in the history of the prize. In 2023, in the context of the European Union’s role as the guest of honour at the Guadalajara International Book Fair in Mexico, various EUPL authors took the stage to introduce their literary journey beyond the European borders. To mark this event, a special publication featuring all the selected works from 2009 to 2023 was produced. Moreover, in November 2024, the EUPL looked back at its 15 years of history with the celebration of various events across Brussels, presided by the ceremony ‘European Stories’, which gathered the majority of the nominated authors between 2022 and 2024.

Over the 4 first cycles of the prize (2009-2024) 189 authors have participated in the prize.

The prize structure was further refined in 2025 with the launch of its fifth cycle. From this year, one author from the shortlist is chosen as the overall laureate, while two additional shortlisted authors receive special mentions. These updates are a testament to the EUPL’s ongoing effort to balance recognition with diversity, while continuing to spotlight emerging voices across Europe.

Country cycles

Selected countries in 2027:
Albania, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia and Tunisia.

Selected countries in 2026: 
Armenia, Croatia, Czechia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland and Sweden.

Selected countries in 2025:
Austria, Belgium (French-speaking), Bosnia, Georgia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Ukraine.

Conditions of eligibility

Books are shortlisted at the national level by organisations experienced in promoting national literature abroad and assess books for literary quality, translation potential, and export potential.

These organisations must adhere to a set of standard selection rules. Adjustments to criteria may be made, in agreement with the EUPL Steering Committee, to better reflect national literary markets. If adjustments need to be made to the criteria, they are described separately for each country.

Eligibility Criteria for Shortlisted Books and Authors

The prize aims to give international visibility to authors at the beginning of their career. To be considered for the European Union Prize for Literature, shortlisted books and authors must meet the following eligibility criteria:

Book Requirements

  • Must be written in one or more of the officially recognised languages of the country.
  • Must respect the values of the European Union, namely respect for human rights, human dignity, freedom and equality, as well as the rights of persons belonging to minorities.
  • Should demonstrate literary excellence and have translation potential.
  • Must be professionally published and available in bookshops; the book cannot be self-published.
  • Ideally published no more than 18 months before the award announcement (for EUPL 2025: 16 November 2023). EUPL may reconsider this criterion depending on the availability of the book in bookshops and whether the promotion of the book and the author is still possible and relevant.
  • Must be the latest published work by the author.

Author Requirements

  • Must be a national or a permanent resident of the nominating country.
  • Must have published 2 to 4 fiction books in total (other genres excluded unless the author is internationally recognised because of a specific publication).
  • Cannot be currently employed by EU institutions.
  • Their works must not have been translated into more than 4 languages.
  • Must be willing to participate in EUPL-related promotional activities.
  • Must not have been previously shortlisted for the EUPL.

Selection process

The EUPL selection process covers all 40 countries currently participating in the Creative Europe programme over a cycle of three years. During each yearly edition, 13 authors coming from the participating countries are shortlisted, except for the first year, when 14 authors participate in the Prize (if not possible on the first year, 14 authors participate on the second or third year).

Federation of European Publishers (FEP) and European and International Booksellers Federation (EIBF) coordinate the national nominating organisations and oversee the selection procedures for the European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL) in the participating countries.

Summary

The shortlisted books are proposed by national nominating organisations experienced in promoting national literature abroad and assess books for literary quality, translation potential, and export potential.
The nominating organisations are chosen based on criteria stipulated by the EUPL consortium in agreement with the European Commission and accept to abide by the following principles:

  • The choice of the national nominee must be made fairly and independently by the relevant organisation designated by the EUPL
  • The names of the members of the national committees responsible for making the selections should be recorded and shared internally with the EUPL
  • All decisions must be taken based on consensus within the organisation and mutual agreement with the EUPL
  • The organisations designated by the EUPL cannot submit an author with whom they have direct ties with
  • The organisations designated by the EUPL cannot submit a book published by a publishing house they have direct ties with
  • The organisations designated by the EUPL cannot submit a self-published book and/or one not distributed in the country’s bookshops
  • The content of the nominated book must respect the values of the European Union, namely the respect for human rights, human dignity, freedom and equality and the rights of persons belonging to minorities
  • The author of the shortlisted book cannot be currently employed by the EU institutions
  • The author of the shortlisted book should be ready to take part in EUPL-related activities
  • Nominating organisations shall engage proactively with a diverse range of publishers within their country and must ensure neutrality, avoiding any form of bias for or against specific publishers

The European Jury

The seven-member European Jury chooses one laureate and two special mentions for the European Union Prize for Literature. It is composed of literary experts with highly recognised professional reputations and who are competent and influential in the field of literature and translation. The EUPL consortium appoints the jury members after consultation with experts in the sector. The jury’s composition ensures a balance between authors, publishers, booksellers, translators, literary critics and other personalities, as well as geographical balance among the represented countries. To avoid favouritism, the jury members come from or represent countries not featured in the current edition of the Prize.

The Jury reads 40-page excerpts of all the shortlisted titles translated into English and before the award ceremony, the jury meets with the nominating organisations and the publishers of the shortlisted authors. Publishers and nominating organisations can pitch their choice and answer questions from the jury before the final deliberation. The laureate and the special mentions are announced during the awards ceremony, which is usually held during a book fair or another major European book event during the first half of the year. The award ceremony of the EUPL has already been organised during the Paris Book Fair (2022), Leipzig Book Fair (2023), and Brussels Book Fair (2024).

Disclaimer

This project is co-funded by the European Union. However, it only reflects the views of the author(s), and the European Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.