On the evening of the 21st of November, the European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL) honoured 19 authors nominated for the past cycle (2022-2024 editions) during a celebratory event, which took place at Flagey culture house in Brussels, Belgium. The event took attendees on a journey through the literary works of the nominated authors, highlighting the diversity of European literature, as well as its linguistic richness. The authors, divided into 5 thematic groups, presented their work to the audience, either reading excerpts from their nominated books in their mother tongue, or their own contributions to the different themes. Each reading was then followed by a discussion with the public in dedicated breakout rooms.
Since 2009, the EUPL has awarded 189 authors from the 40 countries participating in the Creative Europe programme. The celebration at Flagey was an opportunity to reflect on Europe's cultural richness and linguistic diversity and how the EUPL contributes to introducing publishers, booksellers and readers to works written in lesser-used languages.
The authors were also joined on stage by Director-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen, who spoke about the importance of reading and culture in contemporary society, quoting 2024 EUPL winner Theis Ørntoft’s novel Jordisk (Worldly) in Danish, her mother tongue.
The Presidents of the Federation of European Publishers and European and International Booksellers Federation Sonia Draga and Fabian Paagman were also present and discussed how the EUPL can benefit booksellers and publishers in creating a richer and more diverse offer for their readers and how the European Commission can support publishing translations, especially in cases of emerging authors.
The event was a delightful conclusion to this past cycle of the European Union Prize for Literature and a great opportunity for lovers of literature to get together in celebration of this year’s wonderful nominees and of Europe’s rich literary and linguistic panorama. We cannot wait for what’s in store for the next cycle – stay tuned!
About EUPL:
Spotlighting the creativity and the immense and diverse wealth of Europe’s contemporary literature, the European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL) recognises the best emerging fiction writers in Europe.
The Prize is open to 40 countries participating in the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, celebrating 40 outstanding new literary talents across a cycle of three years. EUPL aims to promote the circulation of literature within Europe and encourage greater interest in non-national literary works. The Prize is financed by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, which aims to promote cross-border mobility of those working in the cultural sector, encourage the transnational circulation of cultural and artistic output and foster intercultural dialogue.
