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The European Union Prize for Literature announces 2021 shortlist

eupl-2021-shortlisted-books

We are excited to reveal 55 authors and books from 14 participating countries nominated for the 2021 European Union Prize for Literature

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. 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, and 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 (Runaround), 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 Publishersù
  • 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

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.