Runeberg Prize

るーんべりしょう

Finnish literature award. Established in 1987. Awarded annually on February 5 to works in Finnish or Swedish.

Literature awardFinnish LiteratureFor works in Finnish or Swedish

Established: 1987
Organizer: City of Porvoo; Uusimaa (newspaper); Union of Finnish Writers (Suomen Kirjailijaliitto); Finnish Critics' Association (Suomen arvostelijain liitto); Society of Swedish Authors in Finland (Finlands svenska författareförening)
Category: Literature and General Literary Arts
Selection Method: Recommendation
Target: Professional
Frequency: 1 per year
Announcement Period: around February
Status: Active

Description

The Runeberg Prize (Finnish: Runeberg-palkinto, Swedish: Runebergspriset) is a Finnish literary award established in 1987. Named after Finland's national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg, it is awarded annually on February 5, Runeberg's birthday. Eligible entries are literary works in Finnish or Swedish by Finnish writers. Organizers include the City of Porvoo, Uusimaa newspaper, Union of Finnish Writers, Finnish Critics' Association, and Society of Swedish Authors in Finland. The current prize money is 20,000 euros.

Prize

Main Prize: Prize money and the honor of winning (current amount: 20,000 euros)
Cash Prize: 20,000 EUR

Selection

Selection Process

Stage	Judges	Pass Rate	Announcement
Candidate Selection (Nomination)	Organizing bodies and selection committee select candidates	null	Candidates are selected by the organizers; announcement method varies by year
Judging (Final Selection)	Selection committee (judges selected from organizing bodies)	null	Final winner announced annually on February 5 (via Porvoo events and media)
Awarding and Award Ceremony	Selection committee and organizing bodies	null	Ceremony sometimes held in Porvoo etc.; press releases issued

Candidate Selection (Nomination)

Judges Organizing bodies and selection committee select candidates

Pass Rate null

Announcement Candidates are selected by the organizers; announcement method varies by year

Judging (Final Selection)

Judges Selection committee (judges selected from organizing bodies)

Pass Rate null

Announcement Final winner announced annually on February 5 (via Porvoo events and media)

Awarding and Award Ceremony

Judges Selection committee and organizing bodies

Pass Rate null

Announcement Ceremony sometimes held in Porvoo etc.; press releases issued

Criteria

Literary value and quality of expression
Originality and depth of theme
Outstanding language expression in Finnish or Swedish

Application Tips

Dos

Write high-quality works in Finnish or Swedish
Emphasize the work's originality and literary value
Follow organizer's instructions for open calls or nomination rules

Don''ts

Neglect language proofreading
Prioritize commerciality over literary value
Ignore organizer's rules when submitting (avoid unsolicited entries if not open call)