Diverse Voices Recognized: EBRD Literature Prize 2024 Announced

Diverse Voices Recognized: EBRD Literature Prize 2024 Announced

(IN BRIEF) The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has announced the launch of the EBRD Literature Prize 2024. This prestigious literary award recognizes works of fiction originally published in a language from a country where the EBRD invests, translated into English and published by European or North American publishers. Submissions are open until November 30, 2023, with the winner to be revealed in June 2024, receiving a €20,000 prize equally divided between the author and translator. The prize aims to celebrate diverse voices and the role of translators in bridging cultures. It has introduced English readers to literature from various EBRD countries since its inception in 2018. The 2023 winner was “The Lake” by Bianca Bellová, translated from Czech.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 2-Oct-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), a multilateral developmental investment bank, is thrilled to announce the launch of the EBRD Literature Prize 2024, continuing its commitment to fostering literary excellence and cultural exchange.

This prestigious literary award honors a work of fiction originally published in a language from a country where the EBRD invests. The selected work must be translated into English and published for the first time within the past year by a European (including UK) or, in a new addition for 2024, a North American publisher.

Authors and publishers are invited to submit their entries until November 30, 2023. An independent panel of judges will review the submissions, creating a shortlist in March 2024, followed by the selection of three finalists. The ultimate winner will be unveiled during an awards ceremony and reception hosted at the EBRD’s headquarters in London in June 2024.

The EBRD Literature Prize carries a total prize fund of €20,000, to be equally shared between the winning book’s author and translator. The two other finalists will each receive €4,000, also split evenly between authors and translators.

The distinguished panel of judges for the 2024 edition of the EBRD Literature Prize includes:

1. Chairperson: Maya Jaggi – Award-winning writer, critic, cultural journalist, and artistic director, known for her contributions to publications such as FT Weekend and The Guardian Review. She is Critic at Large for Words Without Borders and was Writer in Residence at Writers’ House of Georgia in Tbilisi in 2022.
2. Philippe Sands – Professor of Public Understanding of Law at University College London and Samuel and Judith Pisar Visiting Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. Sands is renowned for his book “East West Street: On the Origins of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity,” which won several prestigious awards.
3. Maureen Freely – American author, academic, and professor at the University of Warwick, known for her translations from Turkish and her work as a former International Booker Prize judge.

The EBRD Literature Prize underscores the literary richness of the regions where the bank operates across three continents. It also recognizes the vital role of translators in bridging cultural divides. Since its inception in 2018, the Prize has introduced English-language readers to a diverse array of literature from countries such as Albania, Croatia, Georgia, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Morocco, the Slovak Republic, Turkey, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

The 2023 EBRD Literature Prize was awarded to “The Lake” by Bianca Bellová, translated from Czech into English by Alex Zucker and published by Parthian Books. Runners-up included “Mister N” by Najwa Barakat, translated from Arabic by Luke Leafgren and published by And Other Stories, and “The Books of Jacob” by Olga Tokarczuk, translated from Polish by Jennifer Croft and published by Fitzcarraldo Editions.

Eligibility Criteria for the EBRD Literature Prize 2024:

• Books must be translated into English for the first time.
• Publications should fall within the period from November 15, 2022, to November 14, 2023.
• Works must consist of literary fiction, including collections of short stories by a single author.
• The original work should be in any language (official or minority) of a country where the EBRD invests, authored by an individual who is, or has been, a citizen of an EBRD country of operation.
• Entries cannot be self-translated or self-published, and both the author and translator must be living at the time of submission.

To enter the EBRD Literature Prize 2024, please send submissions to LiteraturePrize@ebrd.com along with a statement specifying the date of publication, a contact address, and telephone number for the publisher. A brief description of the book and a plot summary should also be included. Entrants must submit six hard copies of each book, which will not be returned.

Media contact:

Tel: +44 207 338 7805
Email: press@ebrd.com

SOURCE: EBRD