European Union Prize for Literature announces the 2024 nominees

The European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL) recognises emerging fiction writers from the European Union and beyond. Engaging the 41 countries participating in the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, the Prize celebrates 41 outstanding new literary talents across a cycle of three years.

Spotlighting the creativity and the immense and diverse wealth of Europe’s contemporary literature in the field of fiction, EUPL aims to promote the circulation of literature within Europe and encourages greater interest in non-national literary works.

The EUPL Consortium is proud to reveal today the list of 13 nominees for the EUPL 2024 edition, one for each participating country. The authors and their novels were nominated by national entities knowledgeable about the literary scene in their countries and used to promoting their own literature abroad.

It is with pleasure that the nominees for this year are unveiled:

• Albania: Rita Petro, Lindur së prapthi, Publisher: Onufri
• Bulgaria: Todor Todorov, Хагабула, Publisher: Janet 45
• Denmark: Theis Ørntoft, Jordisk, Publisher: Gyldendal
• Germany: Deniz Utlu, Vaters Meer, Publisher: Suhrkamp
• Hungary: Puskás Panni, Megmenteni bárkit, Publisher: Magvető
• Iceland: María Elísabet Bragadóttir, Sápufuglinn, Publisher: Una útgáfuhús
• Latvia: Daina Tabūna, Raganas, Publisher: Ascendum
  Malta: Aleks Farrugia, Ir-Re Borg, Publisher : SKS
• Netherlands: Sholeh Rezazadeh, Ik ken een berg die op me wacht, Publisher: Ambo|Anthos
• Portugal: Gabriela Ruivo, Lei da gravidade, Publisher: Porto Editora
• Serbia: Bojan Krivokapić, Vila Fazanka, Publisher: Areté
• Slovenia: Tina Vrščaj, Na klancu, Publisher: Cankarjeva založba
• Tunisia: Arbia Braham, Jebel El Milh, Publisher: Editions Arabesques

Watch the announcement video here.

The seven members of the European jury will now read excerpts from all the nominated books and make their choice in the upcoming month to award one EUPL Prize winner for this edition, together with recognising five special mentions.

The 2024 EUPL Prize winner and the five special mentions will be revealed on 4 April 2024 at 17:00, during the announcement ceremony at the Brussels Book Fair’s Place de l’Europe.

All nominated authors will be continuously promoted on the European stage, aiming to reach a wider and international audience, as well as connect with readers beyond their national and linguistic borders.

The EUPL is organised by a Consortium of associations comprising the Federation of European Publishers (FEP) and the European and International Booksellers Federation (EIBF), with the support of the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.

Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said: "The nominees for the European Union Prize for Literature, 13 voices from 13 countries, represent the richness of literary expression across Europe. I congratulate all nominees, wish them all success in the final round and look forward to congratulating the winners on 4 April. One thing is certain though: European literature and its remarkable diversity have already won. We will celebrate it soon with the Day of European Authors on 25 March.”

Ricardo Franco Levi, President of FEP, said: “One of Europe’s wealth is the abundance of languages read all over the region. Thanks to the EUPL, professionals all over the world have the chance to discover new literary talents. On behalf of the Federation of European Publishers, I wish to all the nominee authors to find audiences across their borders, through the talents of translators and publishers who are believing in sharing stories with fellow Europeans.”

Jean-Luc Treutenaere, Co-President of EIBF, said: “Once again, the EUPL has achieved what it does best: conveying the richness and diversity of European literature, outlining every year some of the most promising fiction authors in the participating countries. In 2024, EUPL has spotlighted 13 authors, out of which a European jury will select five special mentions and one overall winner.  What truly matters, however, is the lasting contribution that each of these novels make to the nurture of European literature. On behalf of the European and International Booksellers Federation, I want to congratulate all the authors, and I cannot wait to see their works grace the shelves of bookshops across Europe.”

Download visuals here : https://file.io/zU6O91EX8meT