Angelus Central European Literature Award

Established: 2006
Organizer: the city of Wrocław
Category: General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Selection Method: Recommendation
Target: Professional
Frequency: 1 per year
Announcement Period: around October
Status: Active

Description

Established in 2006 and presented by the city of Wrocław (Poland), the Angelus Central European Literature Award is given annually to a living author originating from Central Europe for the best prose book written in or translated into Polish. The prize honors works that "undertake themes most relevant to the present day, encourage reflection and deepen the knowledge of the world of other cultures." Winners receive a cash prize (PLN 150,000) and a statuette designed by sculptor Ewa Rossano. Eligible countries listed by the award include Albania, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine.

Prize

Main Prize: Cash prize (PLN 150,000) and a statuette designed by sculptor Ewa Rossano.
Cash Prize: 150,000 PLN

Statuette designed by Ewa Rossano
Public recognition and promotion at the award ceremony (Wrocław)
Approx. value in EUR often reported (≈€35,000)

Selection

Selection Process

Stage	Judges	Pass Rate	Announcement
Nomination / eligibility check	Award secretariat and nominating entities (per regulations); initial verification of eligibility	—	Nominations managed internally; eligibility results not always publicly detailed
Shortlist selection	Appointed jury (panel of literary experts and critics)	—	Shortlist published on the official site and announced to media prior to the final decision
Jury deliberation and laureate selection	Jury members (past members have included Ryszard Krynicki, Mykola Riabchuk, Natalya Gorbanevskaya, Stanisław Bereś, Julian Kornhauser, Irek Grin, Krzysztof Koelher, etc.)	—	Winner announced at the award ceremony in Wrocław and via press releases / media coverage (typically in October)

Nomination / eligibility check

Judges Award secretariat and nominating entities (per regulations); initial verification of eligibility

Announcement Nominations managed internally; eligibility results not always publicly detailed

Shortlist selection

Judges Appointed jury (panel of literary experts and critics)

Announcement Shortlist published on the official site and announced to media prior to the final decision

Jury deliberation and laureate selection

Judges Jury members (past members have included Ryszard Krynicki, Mykola Riabchuk, Natalya Gorbanevskaya, Stanisław Bereś, Julian Kornhauser, Irek Grin, Krzysztof Koelher, etc.)

Announcement Winner announced at the award ceremony in Wrocław and via press releases / media coverage (typically in October)

Criteria

Best prose work written in or translated into Polish
Author must be living and originate from a Central European country
Works should undertake themes most relevant to the present day
Works should encourage reflection and deepen knowledge of other cultures
Literary quality, originality and significance for Central European cultural context