News

The Croatian author Martina Vidaić has been awarded the overall winner of The European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL) 2023 for her novel Bedbugs.

Published in Croatia in 2021 by Naklada Ljevak, the novel was shortlisted for the Fric Award, awarded annually for the Best Prose Fiction written in the Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian, or Montenegrin language. Vidaić received numerous awards for her work, both poetry and prose, including the prestigious Goran Prize for Young Poets, Ivan Goran Kovačić Award, and Janko Polić Kamov Award.

Following a 2022 EUPL edition which introduced changes to the overall organisation of the Prize, a seven-member European jury made of literary experts with professional influence awarded one overall winner accompanied by five special mentions on April 28 2023 at Leipzig Book Fair. There was a total of thirteen nominees for EUPL 2023: Armenia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, France, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Poland, Sweden, revealed on 7 March 2023, one for each participating country.

Special mentions:

- Cyprus: Χάρη Ν. Σπανού (Hari N. Spanou), Φυλάκιο (The Outpost), Publisher: Εκδόσεις Αιγαίον (Aegan Publications)
- Estonia: Tõnis Tootsen, Ahvide pasteet. Ühe ahvi mälestusi ja mõtteid (Pâté of the Apes: One Primate’s Thoughts and Memories), Publisher: Kaarnakivi Seltsi Kirjastus
- Finland: Iida Rauma, Hävitys (Destruction), Publisher: Siltala Publishing
- France: Maud Simonnot, L’heure des oiseaux (The Hour of Birds), Publisher: Editions de l’Observatoire
- Kosovo: Ag Apolloni, Kësulëkuqja, përrallë për të rritur (Red Riding Hood, a fairy tale for adults), Publisher : Bard Books

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

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.