EBRD Unveils Diverse Short List for Prestigious Literature Prize Across Seven Investment Regions

EBRD Unveils Diverse Short List for Prestigious Literature Prize Across Seven Investment Regions

(IN BRIEF) The EBRD has announced the short list for its annual Literature Prize, featuring ten English translations of books by authors from seven countries where the Bank invests. Selected by an independent jury led by Maya Jaggi, the short list includes works from Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Türkiye, and Ukraine. The diverse titles range from poetic flash fiction to expansive novels addressing contemporary issues, with a strong representation of women’s voices. Finalists will be named in late April, and the winning work, along with its translator, will share a €20,000 prize at a public ceremony on 24 June at the EBRD headquarters in London.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 27-Mar-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is excited to unveil this year’s short list for the EBRD Literature Prize, featuring ten books in English translation by authors from seven countries where the Bank invests: Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Türkiye and Ukraine. The shortlisted titles have been selected by an independent panel comprising writer, critic and cultural journalist Maya Jaggi (chair); writer and editor Selma Dabbagh; Uilleam Blacker, translator and Associate Professor in Ukrainian and East European Culture at University College London; and BBC News foreign correspondent Fergal Keane.

The diverse collection of works, arranged in alphabetical order by author, includes Ivana Bodrožić’s Sons, Daughters (translated from Croatian by Ellen Elias-Bursać, published by Seven Stories Press UK), Artem Chapeye’s The Ukraine (translated from Ukrainian by Zenia Tompkins, published by Seven Stories Press UK), Liliana Corobca’s Too Great a Sky (translated from Romanian by Monica Cure, published by Seven Stories Press UK), and Ҫiler İlhan’s Engagement (translated from Turkish by Kenneth Dakan, published by Istros Books). Also featured are Yuliia Iliukha’s My Women (translated from Ukrainian by Hanna Leliv, published by 128 LIT), Damir Karakaš’s Celebration (translated from Croatian by Ellen Elias-Bursać, published by Selkies House Limited), and László Krasznahorkai’s Herscht 07769 (translated from Hungarian by Ottilie Mulzet, published by New Directions Publishing). Additionally, Tanja Maljartschuk’s Forgottenness (translated from Ukrainian by Zenia Tompkins, published by Bullaun Press in Ireland and Liveright in the US), Magdaléna Platzová’s Life After Kafka (translated from Czech by Alex Zucker, published by Bellevue Literary Press), and Olga Tokarczuk’s The Empusium (translated from Polish by Antonia Lloyd-Jones, published by Fitzcarraldo Editions) complete the list.

The panel noted the remarkable creative output from regions facing significant challenges—from areas in transition to conflict zones—emphasizing the bold, innovative, and often boundary-pushing nature of the fiction produced. Dr Jaggi observed that women’s voices are particularly prominent, and the stories frequently draw on real events and people, reflecting on the responsibilities of fiction in today’s “post-truth” era. Finalists will be announced next month, with the winner revealed on 24 June at a public awards ceremony held at the EBRD headquarters in London, where the event will bring together judges, finalist authors, translators, and publishers. Prize money of €20,000 will be equally shared by the winning author and translator, while the other two finalists will each receive €2,000.

Media contact:
Email: media@ebrd.com

SOURCE: EBRD