Ryszard Kapuściński Award for Literary Reportage

りしゃるどかぷしちんすきしょう

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

Literary reportageNonfictionInternational literary award

Established: 2010
Organizer: Capital City of Warsaw in cooperation with Gazeta Wyborcza
Category: Nonfiction and Documentary Literature
Selection Method: Recommendation
Target: Professional
Frequency: 1 per year
Announcement Period: around May
Status: Active

Description

The Ryszard Kapuściński Award is an annual international literary award recognizing outstanding works of literary reportage. Established in January 2010 by the Warsaw City Council, it targets literary reportage that addresses contemporary important issues and deepens cross-cultural understanding. Honorary patronage by Alicja Kapuścińska. The main prize is 100,000 PLN to the author, and 20,000 PLN to the translator as a translation prize. Past judges include Joanna Bator, Maciej Drygas, Olga Stanisławska, and others.

Prize

Main 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.
Cash Prize: 100,000 PLN

Translation prize: 20,000 PLN (best translator)

Selection

Selection Process

Stage	Judges	Pass Rate	Announcement
Nomination/Application receipt	Selection committee (past members e.g.: Joanna Bator, Maciej Drygas, Olga Stanisławska, etc.)	—	Candidates solicited based on applications/nominations (detailed requirements announced by organizer)
Shortlist selection	Selection committee reviews candidate works to determine the shortlist	—	Shortlist published in organizer's official announcement
Final selection and winner determination	As above (committee ultimately selects the winning work)	—	Winners announced in official city statements, media reports, and at the award ceremony

Nomination/Application receipt

Judges Selection committee (past members e.g.: Joanna Bator, Maciej Drygas, Olga Stanisławska, etc.)

Announcement Candidates solicited based on applications/nominations (detailed requirements announced by organizer)

Shortlist selection

Judges Selection committee reviews candidate works to determine the shortlist

Announcement Shortlist published in organizer's official announcement

Final selection and winner determination

Judges As above (committee ultimately selects the winning work)

Announcement Winners announced in official city statements, media reports, and at the award ceremony

Criteria

Addressing contemporary important issues
Based on thorough research and fact verification
Content that deepens understanding of other cultures and prompts reflection
Balancing journalistic accuracy with literary quality

Application Tips

Dos

Conduct thorough fact-checking and clearly indicate sources
Include episodes demonstrating the originality and depth of reporting
Clearly articulate the international and universal themes of the work
Proofread multiple times before submission; for translations, respect the original's tone and feel