Magnesia Litera
まぐねしあ・りてら
Annual comprehensive book award established in the Czech Republic in 2002. Includes multiple genre awards and the main prize (Czech Book of the Year).
- Established
- 2002
- Organizer
- Spolek Litera, an independent association comprising members from Czech literary and book-market organizations, including the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, the Association of Booksellers and Publishers, the Czech Centre of International PEN, the Czech section of IBBY, the Society of Czech Writers, and the Guild of Czech Translators.
- Category
- Research, Translation, and Scholarship
- Selection Method
- Recommendation
- Target
- Newcomer
- Frequency
- 1 per year
- Status
- Active
Description
Magnesia Litera is an annual book award in the Czech Republic established in 2002, targeting multiple genres such as prose, poetry, children's books (since 2004), non-fiction, essay/journalism (since 2007), translation, publishing achievement, debut work, etc. The main prize 'Czech Book of the Year' is selected from the candidates in each genre. The award is presented by the independent organization Litera, which is composed of members from literary and book-related organizations such as the Czech Academy of Sciences, booksellers and publishers association, International PEN Czech Center, IBBY Czech section, Czech Writers' Association, Czech Translators' Guild, etc.
Prize
- Main Prize
- Czech Book of the Year (main prize) and awards for each genre
- Genre awards (prose, poetry, children's book, non-fiction, essay/journalism, translation, publishing achievement, book debut)
- Publishing achievement award
- Book debut award
Selection
Selection Process
| Stage | Judges | Pass Rate | Announcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nomination/Recommendation | Recommendations/nominations by Litera members and affiliated organizations (publishers, writers, translators, academic institutions, etc.) | — | Nominations are announced on the official website, etc. (Refer to official information for details) |
| Genre-specific judging (shortlisting/winner determination) | Judging panels per genre (experts/committee members) | — | Winners for each genre are published in official announcements |
| Czech Book of the Year (main prize) selection | The judging committee selects one work from the genre winners | — | The main prize is published in official announcements |
Criteria
- Not specified in sources (the following are generally assumed criteria): Literary value (estimated)
- Originality/quality of expression (estimated)
- In translation category: Translation quality/relative value to original work (estimated)
- In publishing achievement category: Publishing contribution/editing/design etc. (estimated)
Related Awards
- List of Czech literary awards (Wikipedia)