European Jury

Jens Christian Grøndahl (Denmark)

Jens Christian Grøndahl was born in 1959 in Copenhagen. After studies in philosophy he was trained as a film director at The National Danish Film School. His frist novel was published 1985. He is the author of 23 novels, ten volumes of essays and three bookds for children. His work has been translated into more than 30 languages including English, French and German. He was formely vicepresident of Danish PEN and member of the EU Commissions' Group for Intellectuals for Intercultural Dialogue. He has received Le Prix Jean Monnet de Littérature Européenne and Le Prix Cévennes du Roman Européen. Several novels of his have been shortlisted for the IMPAC Prize, Prix Médici Etranger and Prix Fémina Etranger. He is Chevalier dans l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres. He lives in Copenhagen with his wife and two daugthers.

Anna Jarota (France/Poland)

Anna Jarota is a literary agent with offices in Paris and Warsaw. She grew up in Poland under the communist regime and as a member of the student's Solidarnosc, she had to leave her country for political reasons in 1986. She lived between London and Paris for many years, always working in publishing, and finally settled in Paris where she opened her literary agency. Her Warsaw agency followed soon after. She also promotes the profession of literary agent in these parts of Europe where it is still less known, including France. Anna Jarota is on the board of the newly formed Association of Authors' Agents in Paris.

Svetlozar Zhelev (Bulgaria)

Svetlozar Zhelev is a contemporary expert in the Bulgarian literary field. Former publisher, TV and radio host, he was a board member of the Bulgarian Book Association from 2006 to 2010, Member of the Bulgarian national jury for EUPL 2021, the Chairman of the International Jury of EUPL 2022, and president of the jury for the "Translations" program of the National Culture Fund from 2018 to 2020. He is a member of the programing committee of the "TRADUKI" network, member of ENLIT, co-founder of the "Elizabeth Kostova Foundation on Creative Writing", and a lecturer in Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" since 2013. He is the director of the National Book Center of the National Palace of Culture.

Rosa Azevedo (Portugal)

Rosa Azevedo has a degree in Portugese and French Literature and a master's degree in Text Editing. Since 2007, she has been teaching several Portugese literature courses, in addition to other production work related to literature, particularly in the areas of surrealism, independent publishing and women writers of the Portugese 20th century. She has a bookshop in Lisbon, Livraria Snob, that is, as well, an independent publishing house.

Barbara Anderlič (Slovenia)

Barbara Anderlič is an interpreter and translator from Slovenia. Her most recent translation is Jurij Devetak’s graphic novel Nekropolis (Schaltzeit Verlag), based on Boris Pahor’s autobiographical book. Within TRADUKI, she manages several projects, including the annual Balkan Film Week in Leipzig, and is the network’s current communications manager. She was the recipient of the 2014 exil-DramatikerInnenpreis and a member of the Viennale audience jury in 2012. Having spent several years abroad, she is these days based in Ljubljana.

Vera Michalski-Hoffmann (France/Poland)

Vera Michalski-Hoffmann holds a degree in political science from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva. In 1987, she and her Polish husband Jan Michalski founded Editions Noir sur Blanc, which aimed at building bridges between the cultures and people of Europe. Later different imprints and publishing houses joined. The Libella group now including a dozen of publishing houses in Switzerland, France, Poland and the Netherlands came into existence in 2000.Books are published in French, Polish and English and cover fiction, nonfiction and illustrated books (drawing and photography).

In 2004, Vera Michalski-Hoffmann created the Jan Michalski Foundation for Writing and Literature in Montricher, Switzerland.
The Foundation's mission is to support literary creation and to encourage the practice of reading by organizing exhibitions and cultural events to bring together artists, writers and readers, by making a large multilingual library available to the public, by awarding an annual prize for world literature, by providing financial support to a very wide array of projects in the field of literature, and by hosting writers in residence.

Sheltered by a concrete canopy at the edge of a forest, in the middle of nature, the Foundation offers a unique meeting and working place turned towards the world.

Vilis Kasims (Latvia)

Vilis Kasims (1986) is a Latvian author, translator, editor and literary agent. He has published three works of fiction, with a collection of essays coming in 2025. He translates from English, Russian, Catalan and Spanish and has around 20 published translations so far, including Frank Herbert's "Dune", Sergei Dovlatov's "The Zone" and Bob Dylan's "Chronicles. Volume One". Originally from a small village in northern Latvia, he has lived and worked in London and Barcelona, but has settled down in Riga now with his wife and daughter.