About EUPL
Aim of the Prize
The aim of the European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL) is to put the spotlight on the creativity and diverse wealth of Europe’s contemporary literature in the field of fiction, to promote the circulation of literature within Europe and to encourage greater interest in non-national literary works.
The works of the selected winners (one per country participating in the Prize on a rotation basis) will reach a wider and international audience, and touch readers beyond national and linguistic borders.
The Prize is financed by the Creative Europe programme of the European Commission, which aims to achieve three main goals: to promote cross-border mobility of those working in the cultural sector; to encourage the transnational circulation of cultural and artistic output; and to foster intercultural dialogue.
As the consortium selected by the European Commission to coordinate the initiative, the European and International Booksellers Federation (EIBF), the European Writers' Council (EWC) and the Federation of European Publishers (FEP) are jointly responsible for the setting up of the national juries and the practical organisation of the award ceremony.
The Prize competition is open to the 36 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 first three-year cycle was completed in 2009-2011, the second cycle in 2012-2014.
Countries participating in the Creative Europe programme 2014-2020:
- All Member States of the European Union: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom;
- Non-EU countries: Iceland, Norway, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Tunisia, Armenia, Kosovo*
For more information on the Creative Europe programme, please see the Official journal of the European Union.
Selection Process
The winning authors are selected by qualified juries set up in each of the countries participating in the award.
The emerging authors are selected on the basis of criteria stipulated by the European Commission and fulfill in particular the following requirements:
- The author must be a citizen one of the 12 selected countries.
- The author should have published between 2 and 4 contemporary fiction books.
- The winning book must not exceed the maximum number of 4 translations.
- The winning books must be the latest work of the author, must have been published in the last 18 months and must still be commercially available.
Selected countries in 2019
- Austria, Finland, France, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
Selected countries in 2017
- Albania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Iceland, Latvia, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, Serbia, Turkey, and United Kingdom.
Selected countries in 2016
- Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, North Macedonia, Germany, Luxembourg, Romania, Slovenia and Spain.
Selected countries in 2015
- Austria, Croatia, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Sweden.
Selected countries in 2014
- Albania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Malta, Montenegro, Serbia, Netherlands, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
Countries participating in the Culture Programme 2007-2013
- All Member States of the European Union as of January 1st, 2007: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom;
- Countries of the European Economic Area: Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway;
- Candidate countries for accession to the EU: Croatia, North Macedonia and Turkey;
- Serbia;
- Countries of the Western Balkans: Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro.
Selected countries in 2013
- Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, North Macedonia, Germany, Luxembourg, Romania, Slovenia, and Spain.
Selected countries in 2012
- Austria, Croatia, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Sweden.
Selected countries in 2011
- Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Malta, Montenegro, Serbia, Netherlands, Turkey and United Kingdom.
Selected countries in 2010
- Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, North fMacedonia, Germany, Luxembourg, Romania, Slovenia and Spain.
Selected countries in 2009
- Austria, Croatia, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Sweden.
* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence