European Union Prize for Literature looks forward to the 2021 Award Ceremony in Brussels

The European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL) is pleased to announce its 2021 Award Ceremony will take place on 9 November 2021. The ceremony will celebrate the thirteen national laureates of the 2021 edition. Taking place at the culture house Flagey in Brussels, Belgium, the event will be open to a limited audience, and also livestreamed on the EUPL’s Facebook channel from 7.30 p.m.

The awards will be given by Ms Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Dr Vasko Simoniti, Minister for Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, and Ms Sabine Verheyen MEP, Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education of the European Parliament.

The EUPL is organised by a Consortium of associations comprising the European Writers' Council (EWC), the Federation of European Publishers (FEP), and the European and International Booksellers Federation (EIBF), with the support of the European Commission.

In anticipation of the event, Ms Nina George, President of the European Writers’ Council, said: “On behalf of the European Writers’ Council, we warmly congratulate the winners of this year's European Union Prize for Literature! We thank you for your tirelessness to observe and tell about the world. You are not only the sources of the book value chain, but your works are the sources of democracy, cultural exchange and a diverse European community. The EUPL 2021 is a special prize: it marks the beginning of a still unclear time "after". Let us enter these post-crisis years with optimism and accept the challenge to continue writing – and awarding – literature that is as diverse, surprising or unusual as possible.”

Mr Peter Kraus Vom Cleff, President of the Federation of European Publishers, commented: “This year's 13 EUPL winners showcase the incredible European diversity and literary richness in a fascinating way. And how important it is to systematically help authors so that their works find a translated place in as many European publishing houses as possible.”

Mr Jean-Luc Treutenaere, co-President of the European and International Booksellers Federation, added: “This year’s EUPL Ceremony is a very special one for all of us, but especially for our 2021 laureates. Faced with the difficult circumstances last autumn, the EUPL Consortium had to move the Ceremony online. We are now doubly pleased to be able to celebrate these outstanding literary talents and their great novels in person again and to welcome the wider European literary and cultural community to Brussels for this event. Oh behalf of the EIBF, I wish to warmly congratulate the 13 laureates for this year, and hope to soon be able to discover their novels in many languages and many bookshops around the world.”