Romanian writer Ioana Parvulescu among winners of 2013 EU Prize for Literature

Romanian writer Ioana Parvulescu won, alongside eleven other European authors, the 2013 European Union Prize for Literature.

A professor at the University of Bucharest’s Faculty of Letters, where she teaches modern Romanian literature, she coordinated the book series Cartea de pe noptiera (The book on the nightstand) at Humanitas publishing house. Some of her books include: Intoarcere in Bucurestiul interbelic (Going back to the in-between-wars Bucharest) (2003), In intimitatea secolului 19 (Inside the intimacy of the 19^th century) (2005), Cartea intrebarilor (The book of questions) (2010). One of her novels – Viata incepe vineri (Life starts on Friday) (2009)- was published in a Swedish translation in 2011. Another novel – Viitorul incepe luni (The future starts on Monday) – was published in 2012.

The EU Prize for Literature rewards the best new or emerging authors throughout Europe. Organized by the European Commission in cooperation with the European Booksellers Federation, European Writers’ Council and the Federation of European Publishers, the competition is open to authors in the 37 countries involved in the EU Culture Program1.

Each year, national juries in a third of these countries nominate the winning authors, so that all countries are represented over a three-year period.

This year’s 12 winners have been revealed today during the opening ceremony of the Göteborg Book Fair by Androulla Vassiliou, EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth. Romania is the guest of honor at this year’s edition of the book fair.

The winners of the 2013 EU Prize for Literature are:

Isabelle WÉRY (Belgium); Faruk ŠEHIĆ (Bosnia Herzegovina); Emilios SOLOMOU (Cyprus); Kristian BANG FOSS (Denmark); Meelis FRIEDENTHAL (Estonia); Lidija DIMKOVSKA (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia); Katri LIPSON (Finland); Marica BODROŽIĆ (Germany); Tullio FORGIARINI (Luxembourg); Ioana PÂRVULESCU (Romania); Gabriela BABNIK (Slovenia); Cristian CRUSAT (Spain)

Each winner will receive EUR 5,000, and the priority to apply for EU funding to have their book translated into other European languages.

“Europe needs stories and storytellers, and there is an endless demand for books on eternal topics. Writers bring vital sparks to the minds and languages, and only change keeps cultures alive; therefore, it is always a joy to celebrate the new literary voices assuring us that culture keeps growing and changing”, said Dr. Pirjo Hiidenmaa, president of the European Writers’ Council.