European Union Prize for Literature

What is it?

The European Union Prize for Literature is an annual initiative to recognise the best emerging authors in Europe.

Launched by the European Commission in 2009, the prize is open to countries participating in the Creative Europe programme for the cultural and creative sectors.

The EUPL is at present organised by a consortium consisting of the European Booksellers Federation, the European Writers’ Council and the Federation of European Publishers.

What does it aim to achieve?

The Prize aims to:

• showcase and put a spotlight on Europe’s diverse wealth of contemporary fiction;
• raise the profile of winning authors outside their home country and help them cross borders and reach broader readership;
• raise general awareness and stimulate interest in the whole book sector about the literary diversity in Europe;
• promote actively the publishing, translation, selling and reading of books from other European countries;
• Encourage transnational circulation of literature, both in Europe and beyond.

How does it work?

The Prize competition is open to the countries currently involved in the Creative Europe programme. Each year, national juries in a third of the participating countries nominate their winning authors, making it possible for all countries and language areas to be represented over a three-year cycle. The national expert juries make independent quality assessments while respecting established basic criteria, in particular:

• The author must be a citizen of one of the countries participating in a given year.
• The author must have published between 2 and 4 works of fiction.
• The book for which the Prize is awarded must be the latest work of the author and published in the last 18 months.

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 Publishers

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

the 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

More information

European Union Prize for Literature

the European Union Prize for Literature webstite