World Literary Awards

Literary Awards

Browse award recipients, categories, and yearly award lists

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580 literary awards

Janusz A. Zajdel Award

Established
1984
Frequency
Annually
Organizer
Związek Stowarzyszeń “Fandom Polski” (Polish SF&F Fandom Association)
Selection Method
Vote
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Open
Application Deadline
around April
Science fictionFantasyLiterary awardNovelShort story

Annual Polish science fiction and fantasy award voted by fans at Polcon for the best works published in the previous year.

Prize: Statuette awarded to winners (since 1991, designed by Wiesław Bielak).

Kościelski Award

Established
1962
Frequency
Annually
Organizer
Kościelski Foundation (Geneva, Switzerland)
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
Literary prizeFor young writersPolish literature

Established in 1962, an independent Polish literary prize by the Kościelski Foundation based in Geneva. Awarded annually to promising writers aged 40 or younger.

Prize: Recognition by the Kościelski Foundation (prize money and honor). No specific prize amount is mentioned in public documents.

Nike Literary Award (Nagroda Literacka 'Nike')

Established
1997
Frequency
Annually (every October)
Organizer
Gazeta Wyborcza and Agora Foundation
Selection Method
Open call / Recommendation
Category
Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
Target
Open
Application Deadline
around May
Announcement Period
around October
Literary prizeNovelPoetryEssayNonfictionAutobiographyLiterary reportage

Poland's premier literary award established in 1997, awarded to single-author works written in Polish and published in the previous year.

Prize: Nike statue (sculpture: Kazimierz Gustaw Zemła) and cash prize

Paszport Polityki (Polityka's Passport)

Established
1993
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Polityka (weekly magazine)
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Plays, Scripts, and Screenplays
Target
Professional
LiteratureFilmTheaterClassical musicPopular musicVisual artsCreator of culture (creator of culture/added in 2002)Digital culture (added in 2016)Entertainment (until 2005)

Annual Polish cultural award established in 1993. Organized by the weekly magazine Polityka, it mainly honors promising creators in multiple cultural categories.

Prize: Honorary cultural award (no explicit prize money or prizes)

Ryszard Kapuściński Award for Literary Reportage

Established
2010
Frequency
Annually
Organizer
Capital City of Warsaw in cooperation with Gazeta Wyborcza
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Nonfiction and Documentary Literature
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around May
Literary reportageNonfictionInternational literary award

An annual international literary reportage prize from Poland, established in 2010 by the Capital City of Warsaw to honour the legacy of Ryszard Kapuściński.

Prize: 100,000 PLN (Złoty) to the author of the best literary reportage work. 20,000 PLN awarded to the translator for the best translation.

Silesius Poetry Award

Established
2008
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
City of Wrocław
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
Target
Newcomer
Announcement Period
around June
PoetryLiterary prizeLifetime achievementDebut awardBook award

An annual literary prize for poetry sponsored by the City of Wrocław, Poland.

Prize: Three categories: Lifetime Achievement (PLN 100,000), Best Debut (PLN 50,000), Book of the Year (PLN 20,000); winners also receive a statuette by Michał Staszczak.

Śląkfa

Established
1983
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Śląski Klub Fantastyki (Silesian Fantasy Club)
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Professional
Science fictionFantasyFandom award

Poland's oldest SF and fantasy award. Established in 1983 by Śląski Klub Fantastyki, awarded in three categories: Creator Award, Publisher Award, and Fan Award.

Wisława Szymborska Award

Established
2013
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
The Wisława Szymborska Foundation
Selection Method
Open call / Recommendation
Category
Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
Target
Open
Announcement Period
around June
Poetry collectionLiterary awardInternational literary award

Polish annual international literary prize for the best poetry book, established in 2013 in honour of Wisława Szymborska.

Prize: Winner: PLN 200,000; Translator (if applicable): PLN 50,000.

Camões Prize (Prémio Camões)

Established
1989
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Direção-Geral do Livro, dos Arquivos e das Bibliotecas (Portugal) and Fundação Biblioteca Nacional (Brazil)
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around May–October
Portuguese-language literature awardLifetime achievement award

The most prestigious literary award established in 1989 to honor the achievements of writers who write in Portuguese. Awarded once a year with a prize of €100,000.

Prize: Cash prize (€100,000)

Prémio Leya

Established
2008
Frequency
年1回（ただし2010・2016・2019・2020年は授賞なし）
Organizer
Grupo LeYa（ポルトガルの出版グループ）
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Open
NovelPortuguese literature awardInternational literature award

Annual literary award by Portuguese publisher Leya for unpublished novels in Portuguese.

Prize: The winner receives €100,000 (100,000 euros).

Oceanos - Portuguese Language Literature Prize (formerly Portugal Telecom Prize for Literature)

Established
2003
Frequency
Annual
Organizer
Portugal Telecom
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
Target
Open
Portuguese-language literatureBrazilian literary awardMulti-genre (novel, poetry, essay)

Brazilian literary award presented to literary works in Portuguese. Established in 2003. Since 2015, hosted by Itaú Cultural under the name Oceanos.

Prize: Grand Prize (cash prize and honor)

São Paulo Prize for Literature

Established
2008
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
São Paulo State Secretary of Culture (Secretaria de Cultura do Estado de São Paulo)
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around July
Announcement Period
around September–November
NovelFull-length novelPortuguese-language literatureEstablished authors categoryDebut authors categoryDebut authors category (under 40)Debut authors category (40 and over)

Literary award targeting full-length novels in Portuguese published in Brazil. Established in 2008. Awards in established authors category and debut authors category.

Prize: Best Book of the Year (Established Authors) and Best Book of the Year (Debut Authors)

Miguel de Cervantes Prize

Established
1975
Frequency
Annual
Organizer
Ministry of Culture (Spain)
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around November
Spanish-language literatureLifetime achievementNational (Spain)

Annual Spanish-language lifetime achievement literary prize presented by the Ministry of Culture (Spain).

Prize: Medal and a monetary award recognizing lifetime achievement (cash prize of €125,000).

Rómulo Gallegos International Novel Prize

Established
1967
Frequency
Biennial (every 2 years since 1987. Every 5 years from 1967–1987)
Organizer
Fundación Centro de Estudios Latinoamericanos y del Caribe Rómulo Gallegos (CELARG)
Selection Method
Selection
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Professional
Novel PrizeFictionSpanish-language LiteratureInternational Literary PrizeSponsored by Venezuela

One of the most prestigious international literary awards for Spanish-language novels, established in 1964 in honor of Venezuelan novelist Rómulo Gallegos and awarded biennially to outstanding fiction from Spanish-speaking countries.

Prize: Cash prize of 100,000 euros

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Prize (Premio Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz)

Established
1993
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Guadalajara International Book Fair (Feria Internacional del Libro de Guadalajara)
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around November
Literary prizeSpanish-language booksFor female writers

An international literary prize awarded to female authors for books written in Spanish. Organized by the Guadalajara International Book Fair, with a cash prize awarded to the winner.

Prize: The winner receives a cash prize (USD 10,000)

Premio Planeta de Novela (Planeta Novel Prize)

Established
1952
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Grupo Planeta (Editorial Planeta)
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Open
Announcement Period
around October
NovelSpanish-language literatureFor unpublished manuscripts

An international literary prize awarded by the Spanish publisher Grupo Planeta since 1952 for unpublished long novels written in Spanish. The winner receives €1,000,000, and the runner-up €200,000.

Prize: Winner: €1,000,000 (winning work is often published primarily by Planeta) / Runner-up: €200,000 (established since 1974)

Premio de Novela Ciudad de Torrevieja

Established
2001
Frequency
Once a year (since 2003). Initially planned to be held biennially
Organizer
Ayuntamiento de Torrevieja (Torrevieja City) and publisher Plaza & Janés (subsidiary of Random House)
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Open
Announcement Period
around September
NovelsUnpublished full-length novelsSpanish-language (Castilian) worksCommercial fiction (thriller, crime, mystery, political fiction)

Established in 2001. A high-prize literary award for unpublished Spanish-language full-length novels, sponsored by Torrevieja City and publisher Plaza & Janés.

Prize: Grand prize €360,607 and publication by Plaza & Janés (publishing rights to the winning work). Runner-up prize of €125,000 existed from 2004–2009.

Premio Iberoamericano Planeta-Casa de América de Narrativa

Established
2007
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Grupo Planeta (Editorial Planeta) and Casa de América
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Open
Announcement Period
around April
Spanish literary awardsSpanish-language literary awardsFiction awardsLiterary awards honoring unpublished books or writersPlaneta literary awards

Established in 2007. A literary award for unpublished fiction written in Spanish, awarding US$200,000 to the winner, targeted at Ibero-America (discontinued after 2012).

Prize: Main prize: US$200,000 (for unpublished Spanish-language works). Runner-up: US$50,000.

Joaquín Gallegos Lara National Fiction Prize

Established
1989
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
City of Quito (Municipality of Quito)
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Plays, Scripts, and Screenplays
Target
Professional
Short storyNovelDrama

National fiction prize sponsored annually by the city of Quito, Ecuador. Awards the best works in three categories: short stories, novels, and drama.

Prize: Unknown (no mention of prize money or awards in the article)

Vishnupuram Award

Established
2010
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Vishnupuram Ilakkiya Vattam
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around December
Tamil literatureLiterary award

An Indian literary award recognizing outstanding contributions to Tamil literature.

Prize: Cash prize and memento, publication of books about the winner, and production/release of documentaries.

Brunel International African Poetry Prize

Established
2012
Frequency
Annual
Organizer
Brunel University; Bernardine Evaristo
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
Target
Open
Announcement Period
around May
PoetryAfrican literatureLiterary awardUnpublished manuscripts

An annual prize to develop, celebrate and promote poetry from Africa; aimed at unpublished poets with a manuscript of ten poems. Includes a £3,000 honorarium.

Prize: £3,000 honorarium; promotion and development opportunities aimed at unpublished African poets submitting a manuscript of ten poems.

9mobile Prize for Literature (formerly Etisalat Prize for Literature)

Established
2013
Frequency
Annually
Organizer
9mobile (formerly Etisalat Nigeria)
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Announcement Period
around March–May
FictionDebut awardEnglish published worksPan-African

Pan-African annual open literary prize targeting debut works (published fiction) by authors of African origin.

Prize: Winner: £15,000 prize money, University of East Anglia fellowship, Samsung Galaxy Note, engraved Montblanc Meisterstück. Additionally, book tours and support such as purchase and donation of shortlisted works.

The Golden Baobab Prize

Established
2008
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
The Golden Baobab Foundation for Education
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Children's Literature, Fairy Tales, and Picture Books
Target
Open
Children's literatureAfrican literary awardGhanaian literary awardPicture booksEarly chapter books

Unpublished English-language short stories for children and young adults by African writers; annual prize with Junior, Senior and Rising Writer categories.

Prize: Cash prizes awarded to winners in Junior, Senior and Rising Writer categories; historically winners received $800 (2008) and this was increased to $1000 for Junior and Senior in 2009/2010.

Grand prix littéraire de l'Afrique noire (Grand prix Afrique)

Established
1960
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Association des écrivains de langue française (ADELF)
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
French-language literatureAfrican literatureLiterary award

Annual literary award for French-language works from sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian Ocean islands, organized by ADELF.

Prize: Literary award given to the winning work (historical records indicate a donation of 2,000 francs at establishment)

Lotus Prize for Literature

Established
1969
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Afro-Asian Writers' Association (Permanent Bureau of Afro-Asian Writers); After reorganization, Writers' Union of Africa, Asia and Latin America (WUAALA)
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
International literary awardAfrican literary awardAsian literary awardEgyptian literary award

Established in 1969, an international literary award presented to writers from Africa and Asia. Suspended in 1988 and resumed in 2019.

Noma Award for Publishing in Africa

Established
1979
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Kodansha Ltd (sponsor), African Book Publishing Record (operator), UNESCO (patronage)
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Children's Literature, Fairy Tales, and Picture Books
Target
Open
LiteratureChildren's booksScholarly books

An annual award presented to outstanding books published in Africa (1980–2009).

Prize: Annual prize money of 10,000 USD (awarded to the winner)

Tchicaya U Tam'si Prize for African Poetry

Established
1989
Frequency
Irregular (primarily awarded during the Assilah International Cultural Festival period, approximately every few years)
Organizer
Assilah city's Forum (Assilah Forum, Morocco)
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around August
PoetryAfrican literatureInternational literary award

An international literary award for African poetry. Established in 1989 to recognize poets and poetic works with innovative and high artistic merit.

Prize: Cash prize (US$10,000) and honorary commendation (awarded at the Assilah International Cultural Festival)

Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa

Established
2005
Frequency
Biennial (every 2 years, biennial)
Organizer
The Lumina Foundation
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Open
Application Deadline
around October
Announcement Period
around April
Literature prizePan-African (Africa-wide)English/French worksGenre specified (varies by edition)

Biennial literature prize awarded to writers of African origin. Winners receive US$20,000 prize money.

Prize: Prize money US$20,000 (awarded at the ceremony)

Man Asian Literary Prize

Established
2007
Frequency
Once a year (2007–2012). Currently suspended/ended
Organizer
Man Group (Man Group plc.)
Selection Method
Selection
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around March
Literary awardNovel awardAsian literary award

Annual literary prize (2007-2012) for the best novel in English by an Asian writer, sponsored by Man Group plc. Discontinued after the 2012 award.

Prize: Winner: USD 30,000 (2010–2012). Translator (if any): USD 5,000 (2010–2012). 2007–2009 format: USD 10,000 to the author and USD 3,000 to the translator for unpublished manuscripts.

DSC Prize for South Asian Literature

Established
2010
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Surina Narula & Manhad Narula (DSC Prize)
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Research, Translation, and Scholarship
Target
Open
Announcement Period
around January
NovelInternational literary prizeTranslations welcome

An international literary prize targeting long novels written in English or translated into English with South Asia as the theme.

Prize: The winner receives prize money and international recognition (prize money in USD).