World Literary Awards

Literary Awards

Browse award recipients, categories, and yearly award lists

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580 literary awards

Nobel Prize in Literature

Established
1895
Frequency
Annually
Organizer
Swedish Academy
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
Application Deadline
around January
Announcement Period
around October
Literature awardInternational literature awardLifetime achievement award

An international award established by Alfred Nobel's will to honor outstanding literary achievements worldwide.

Prize: Gold medal, diploma, cash prize, and lecture/invitation at the award ceremony

Hugo Award

Established
1953
Frequency
Once a year (in conjunction with Worldcon)
Organizer
World Science Fiction Society (WSFS) / Worldcon
Selection Method
Vote
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Open
Application Deadline
around March
Announcement Period
around August
Science fictionFantasyLiterary awardMultiple categories (novel, novella, short story, series, drama, etc.)

International annual literary award recognizing outstanding works and achievements in science fiction and fantasy. Announced at Worldcon and selected by member votes.

Prize: Rocket-shaped trophy (base design changes every year)

Golden Wreath of Struga Poetry Evenings

Established
1966
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Struga Poetry Evenings
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around August
PoetryInternationalLifetime achievement

International lifetime-achievement poetry award presented at the Struga Poetry Evenings festival in Struga, North Macedonia.

Prize: Golden wreath (symbolic award) presented as a lifetime achievement honour

Neustadt International Prize for Literature

Established
1969
Frequency
Biennial (every two years)
Organizer
University of Oklahoma; World Literature Today
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around October–November
International literary awardLifetime achievementFor poetry, novels, and plays

Biennial international literary award sponsored by the University of Oklahoma and World Literature Today. Evaluates writers' lifetime achievements, targeting poets, novelists, and playwrights. Non-open submission; candidates are selected by recommendation from the jurors.

Prize: Silver eagle's wing (silver feathers), certificate, US$50,000

International Botev Prize

Established
1972
Frequency
Every 5 years
Organizer
Municipal Council of Vratsa (formerly: State Council of the People's Republic of Bulgaria)
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
LiteratureInternational

A Bulgarian international literary award established in 1972 and named after the poet and revolutionary Hristo Botev. Awarded every five years to poets and publicists for contributions to world literature.

Prize: Unknown (No public information on prize money or awards is specified in the text)

Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year

Established
1978
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
The Bookseller (magazine) — Operated by diarist Horace Bent who also creates the shortlist
Selection Method
Vote
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Open
Announcement Period
around November–December
Humor literature awardBritish literature awardSatirical/Ironic award

British humor literature award that annually honors the 'oddest' title among English book titles. Operated by The Bookseller magazine.

Prize: A magnum of champagne or claret (bottle) is given to the nominator. Winning books and authors receive significant promotional effects, but there is basically no cash prize.

America Award in Literature

Established
1994
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Contemporary Arts Educational Project, Inc. (In memory of Anna Fahrni); Green Integer (Publisher/Sponsor)
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
Literary awardLifetime achievement awardInternational literature

An annual literary award recognizing the lifetime achievements of international writers. No prize money is awarded.

Prize: Recognition of lifetime achievement (no prize money)

Balint Balassi Memorial Sword Award

Established
1997
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Balassi Bálint-emlékkard Advisory Committee (Founder: Pal Molnar, and committee members. Past laureates automatically become committee members)
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Research, Translation, and Scholarship
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around February
Literature awardPoetryTranslation awardInternational literature award

Annual literary award established in 1997 to commemorate the Hungarian poet Bálint Balassi. Honors Hungarian poets and foreign translators.

Prize: Ceremonial replica sword (made by József Fazekas), diploma, limited edition Herend porcelain statue, award wine

Franz Kafka Prize

Established
2001
Frequency
Once a year (annual)
Organizer
Franz Kafka Society (Franz Kafka Association), co-sponsored by: City of Prague
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around October
International Literary AwardLiterary awardLifetime Achievement

An international literary award co-sponsored by the Franz Kafka Society and the city of Prague. Established in 2001 and awarded annually until 2021.

Prize: US$10,000, diploma, bronze statue (presented at the award ceremony)

Ovid Prize (Ovidius Prize)

Established
2002
Frequency
Annually
Organizer
Romanian Cultural Institute; Romanian Writers' Union
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around June
Fiction awardsInternational literary awardsRomanian literary awards

International literary award established in 2002. Honors the author's overall achievements (body of work), with the main prize of €10,000. The award ceremony is held at Romania's "Days and Nights of Literature" festival.

Prize: Ovid Prize: €10,000; Ovid Festival Prize: €5,000

Dayton Literary Peace Prize

Established
2006
Frequency
Annually
Organizer
Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Nonfiction and Documentary Literature
Target
Professional
Application Deadline
around March
Announcement Period
around October
International Literary PrizePeace-relatedFiction PrizeNonfiction Prize

An annual American literary award for adult fiction and nonfiction that recognizes the power of the written word to promote peace.

Prize: Cash prizes awarded to winners in the fiction and nonfiction categories respectively ($10,000).

European Union Prize for Literature

Established
2009
Frequency
Annually (participating countries rotate on a 3-year cycle)
Organizer
EUPL Consortium (European Writers' Council, Federation of European Publishers, European and International Booksellers Federation) / Supported by: European Commission (Creative Europe)
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Research, Translation, and Scholarship
Target
Newcomer
Announcement Period
around May
FictionEuropean literatureTranslation promotionEmerging writers

Established in 2009. Recognizes emerging writers across Europe and promotes the translation and distribution of their works.

Prize: Each laureate receives a cash award and support for translation and promotion; an annual anthology with excerpts from laureates is published.

Jan Michalski Prize for Literature

Established
2009
Frequency
Annual
Organizer
Fondation Jan Michalski pour l’Écriture et la Littérature (Jan Michalski Foundation for Writing and Literature)
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Nonfiction and Documentary Literature
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around November
International literary awardsSwiss literary awardsFiction awardsNon-fiction literary awardsWorld literatureIllustrated book awards

Swiss international literary prize. Open to fiction and non-fiction in any language published worldwide.

Prize: Winner receives CHF 50,000; finalists are invited to a three-month residency at the Maison de l'écriture (Fondation Jan Michalski).

The Paris Literary Prize

Established
2010
Frequency
Biennial (every 2 years)
Organizer
Shakespeare and Company (bookstore / organizer). Co-sponsored by: de Groot Foundation
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Novella awardsFirst book awardsAwards for unpublished worksInternational literary awardsFrench literary awards

Biennial international literary prize established by Shakespeare and Company for unpublished novellas (20,000–30,000 words) by new writers.

Prize: €10,000 prize money awarded to the winner (targeting 20,000–30,000 word novellas by unpublished new writers)

KONS International Literary Award

Established
2011
Frequency
Irregular
Organizer
KONS (Founders and co-owners: Taja Kramberger, Tatjana Jamnik, Barbara Korun)
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
Target
Professional
Literary awardPoetrySocial change literatureInternational awardHuman rights and social justice

International literary award honoring poets and writers devoted to socially transformative literature and social justice. Founded in 2011, concluded in 2021.

Prize: Literary honor (prize amount not disclosed)

Grand Prix of Literary Associations

Established
2013
Frequency
Once a year (in principle, subject to variation depending on the implementation year)
Organizer
GPLA Team（Grand Prix of Literary Associations） — in partnership with Brasseries du Cameroun; sponsor: Castel Beer
Selection Method
Open call / Recommendation
Category
Research, Translation, and Scholarship
Target
Open
ResearchBelles-LettresGrand prix de la mémoireGrand Prix des MécènesAsso-PrizeTam-tam Short Story PrizePrix Nnanga Kon

International literary award established in Cameroon in 2013. Awarded in English, French, Spanish (and some African languages) to works recommended by authors and literary associations.

Prize: Winners are provided with approximately 1,000 USD in prize money and media promotion.

Zbigniew Herbert International Literary Award

Established
2013
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
The Zbigniew Herbert Foundation
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around March
International Literary AwardLiterary awardPoetry

The Zbigniew Herbert International Literary Award from Poland is an international literary award established in 2013 that recognizes outstanding artistic and intellectual literary achievements close to Herbert's values.

Prize: Winners receive prize money and commemorative items (no specific amount mentioned in the materials)

European Literature Prize (Europese Literatuurprijs)

Established
2011
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Nederlands Letterenfonds (Dutch Foundation for Literature); SPUI25; De Groene Amsterdammer; Athenaeum Boekhandel
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Research, Translation, and Scholarship
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around November
Novel PrizeTranslation awardDutch Literature Prize

Dutch literature prize established in 2011. Awarded to the best contemporary European novel published and translated into Dutch in the previous year.

Prize: €10,000 to the author of the winning work and €5,000 to the translator.

Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award

Established
2002
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Swedish Arts Council (Kulturrådet)
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Children's Literature, Fairy Tales, and Picture Books
Target
Professional
Application Deadline
around May
Announcement Period
around April
Children's literatureInternational literary awardLifetime achievementIllustrationReading promotion

An international award established by the Swedish government in 2002, recognizing outstanding contributions to children’s and young adult literature. The prize carries five million Swedish kronor, making it one of the richest literary awards in the world.

Prize: Prize money of 5,000,000 Swedish Krona (SEK). Winners are provided with international recognition and publicity opportunities.

International Award for Arabic Children's Literature

Established
2009
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
United Arab Emirates Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY), sponsored by: Etisalat / Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi (Founded by: Arab Children's Book Publisher’s Forum)
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Children's Literature, Fairy Tales, and Picture Books
Target
Professional
Application Deadline
around August
Announcement Period
around November
Children's literatureArabic literatureInternational literary award

An international literary award for children's books written in Arabic. Established in 2009, with winners announced every year at the Sharjah International Book Fair.

Prize: Total 1,000,000 AED (UAE Dirham). From 2013 onwards, divided and awarded across multiple categories.

International Prize for Arabic Fiction

Established
2008
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Booker Prize Foundation (London) / Funded by: Abu Dhabi Department of Culture & Tourism (DCT)
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Professional
Application Deadline
around June
Announcement Period
around April
FictionArabic literatureInternational literary award

International literary award given to long novels published in Arabic. Commonly known as the "Arabic Booker".

Prize: The winner receives prize money and support for translation, publication, etc. The winner receives US$50,000, and each of the 6 shortlisted receives US$10,000.

Katara Prize for Arabic Novel

Established
2014
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
General Institution of the Cultural District – Katara
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Open
Announcement Period
around October
NovelArabic literatureInternational literary award

An Arabic literary prize established in 2014 by Katara Cultural Village in Qatar. It includes multiple categories for published novels, unpublished novels, literary criticism, young adult novels, and Qatari novels, with a total prize pool of over $650,000, making it one of the world's most generous literary awards.

Prize: Total prize money: 650,000 USD. Drama Award (main prize) in the published category: 200,000 USD. Top published entrants: 60,000 USD each, unpublished category: 30,000 USD each, etc.

King Faisal Prize (formerly King Faisal International Prize)

Established
1979
Frequency
Annually
Organizer
King Faisal Foundation
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Research, Translation, and Scholarship
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around January
Service to IslamIslamic StudiesArabic Language and LiteratureScienceMedicine

Established in 1979. An international prize organized by the King Faisal Foundation that recognizes individuals and organizations for outstanding contributions across 5 categories.

Prize: Each category winner receives a certificate in Diwani script, a 24-carat (200g) gold medal, and a check for SAR 750,000 (divided in case of joint winners).

Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature

Established
1996
Frequency
Annual
Organizer
American University in Cairo Press (AUC Press)
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Research, Translation, and Scholarship
Target
Professional
Application Deadline
around December
Announcement Period
around December
Translation awardsArabic literary awardsEgyptian literary awardsNovel

Established in 1996, this annual award presented by the American University in Cairo Press (AUC Press) honors the best contemporary Arabic-language novel not yet available in English translation. The winner receives a cash prize of US$5,000 and English translation and publication of their work, awarded each December 11 on the birthday of Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz.

Prize: English translation and publication of the winning work by AUC Press, and presentation of the winner's medal

Sheikh Zayed Book Award

Established
2007
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Board of Trustees of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Research, Translation, and Scholarship
Target
Professional
Application Deadline
around September
Announcement Period
around April–May
Sheikh Zayed Award for ArtsSheikh Zayed Award for Best Technology in the Cultural FieldSheikh Zayed Award for Children's LiteratureSheikh Zayed Award for Cultural Personality of the YearSheikh Zayed Award for Development and State BuildingSheikh Zayed Award for LiteratureSheikh Zayed Award for Manuscript EditingSheikh Zayed Award for Publishing and DistributionSheikh Zayed Award for TranslationSheikh Zayed Award for Young AuthorPublishing and TechnologyLiterary and Art CriticismArabic Culture in Other LanguagesPublishing and Distribution

Annual UAE literary award honoring writers, intellectuals and publishers who contribute to Arab cultural, literary and social life.

Prize: Total prize pool AED 7,000,000. Cultural Personality of the Year: AED 1,000,000. Other main category winners receive substantial cash prizes (historically reported around USD 200,000 each, amounts vary).

Rabindra Puraskar

Established
1950
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Government of West Bengal (Paschimbanga Bangla Academy)
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Nonfiction and Documentary Literature
Target
Professional
Creative literatureNonfictionBengal-related booksLiterary award

The highest honorary literary award sponsored by the Indian state of West Bengal. Named after Rabindranath Tagore.

Prize: Honorary Literary Award (No clear public information available on prize money or awards)

Ananda Puraskar

Established
1958
Frequency
Once a year (every April)
Organizer
ABP Group (Anandabazar Patrika)
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
Literary awardBengali literature

A Bengali literature award awarded annually by the ABP Group (established in 1958).

Prize: Honor and mementos (certificate, commemorative plaque, etc.; details undisclosed)

Sahitya Akademi Award to Bengali Writers

Established
1955
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Sahitya Akademi (India's National Academy of Letters)
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
Target
Professional
Literary awardBengali (Language-Specific)Cross-Genre (Poetry, Novels, Criticism, Essays, etc.)

Major literary award presented annually by India's National Academy of Letters, Sahitya Akademi, to Bengali writers (established 1955).

Prize: Sahitya Akademi Award (Cash prize and certificate / Recognition)

Bangla Academy Literary Award

Established
1960
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Bangla Academy (Bangla Academy)
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Research, Translation, and Scholarship
Target
Professional
PoetryNovelShort storyEssay/ResearchScienceTranslationDramaChildren's literature

The Bangla Academy Literary Award is a literary prize awarded annually by Bangla Academy, Bangladesh's national language institution, to honor contributions to the Bengali language and its literature.

Prize: Honorary recognition (Acknowledgment of literary contributions by Bangla Academy). No prize money amount is specified in the article.

Mao Dun Literature Prize

Established
1982
Frequency
Every four years
Organizer
China Writers Association
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Professional
Full-length novelChinese literatureLiterary award

Prestigious literary award given to outstanding full-length novels in China. Established by Mao Dun's will and first awarded in 1982.

Prize: Literary award presented for full-length novels (establishment funds from Mao Dun's donation)