Works by four Croatian writers, Kristina Gavran, Maša Kolanović, Nenad Stipanić and Zoran Malkoč, have been shortlisted for the 2020 European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL).
The prize is awarded to emerging fiction authors from selected European countries annually. EUPL is spearheaded by the European Commission and selects authors from 41 countries participating in the Creative Europe program; an initiative aimed at strengthening Europe's cultural and creative sectors, as well as enhancing authors' international visibility.
This year's Croatian finalists are Gitara od palisandra ('Rosewood Guitar') by Kristina Gavran (Disput publishing house), Poštovani kukci i druge jezive priče ('Dear Insects and Other Hair-Raising Stories') by Maša Kolanović (Profil Knjiga publishing house), Bogovi neona ('Gods of Neon') by Nenad Stipanić (Sandorf publishing house) and Umro Supermen ('Superman Died') by Zoran Malkoč (Fraktura publishing house).
One winner will be announced this year from each shortlisted country: Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Kosovo, Luxembourg, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway and Spain. 47 authors are currently in the running, of which 13 will win.
A designated jury will choose one winner from each country. Jury members for Croatia are Chloé Billion (literary translator), Romana Perečinec (literary translator and writer), Sibila Petlevski (poet, novelist, playwright, literary critic and professor at the University of Zagreb) and President of the Jury Boris Perić (writer, literary translator and journalist).
Each winner will receive a cash prize of 5000 euros, along with international promotion and visibility. Their publishers will be encouraged to apply for funding via Creative Europe for translations of the works into other European languages - thus paving the way into new markets.
Winners will be announced on May 19th. Good luck to all of the finalists!