What is 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 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 whose objective is 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 37 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 the Member States of the European Union: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, the 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 the United Kingdom;
- Countries of the European Economic Area: Iceland and Norway;
- Candidate countries for accession to the EU: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey.
For more information, please see: Culture programme – Publication JO
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:
- Be a citizen of one of the 12/13 countries selected
- To have published between 2 and 4 books of fiction
- The books and/or the winning book must have been published maximum 5 years before the prize.
The selected countries in 2016
Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
The selected countries in 2015
Austria, Croatia, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Sweden
The selected countries in 2014
Albania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Greece, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Malta, Montenegro, Serbia, the Netherlands, Turkey and the United Kingdom
Countries participating in the Culture Programme 2007-2013
- All Member States of the European Union on 1 January 2007: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the 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 the United Kingdom;
- Countries of the European Economic Area: Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein;
- Candidate countries for accession to the EU: Turkey, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia;
- Serbia;
- Countries of the Western Balkans: Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro
The selected countries in 2013
Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
The selected countries in 2012
Austria, Croatia, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Sweden
The selected countries in 2011
Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Greece, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Malta, Montenegro, Serbia, the Netherlands, Turkey and United Kingdom
The selected countries in 2010
Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
The selected countries in 2009
Austria, Croatia, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Sweden.