European Stories

Europe’s cultural and linguistic diversity is a tremendous asset. Yet, this diversity makes it difficult for cultural works to circulate across borders, and this is especially true for literature. This is why, in 2009, the European Commission decided to launch the European Union Prize for Literature to support outstanding works of fiction by new and emerging authors writing in their national languages. In the past nine editions, we have recognised 108 talented authors from 37 different countries. We are very proud to have such a great number of excellent laureates, who represent Europe in their diversity. 2018 is a very special year: we are celebrating the European Year of Cultural Heritage, as well as the tenth anniversary of the European Union Prize for Literature. To mark this occasion, we organised a specific contest “A European Story: European Union Prize for Literature Winners Write Europe”. This is a unique competition for short works of fiction, exclusively open to previous winners of the prize, to celebrate the wealth and creativity of Europe’s contemporary literature. 36 winners from a total of 26 different countries decided to participate in this contest and share their European stories. Each of these texts, which were written in 23 different languages, has a distinct perspective, style and syntax, but they are all telling a European story. They are a great example of how cultural and artistic expression can help us strengthen our European identity and build a community of communities. For authors, translations are not only a great recognition of their works, but a way to reach audiences beyond their home country and to achieve pan-European or even global success. European literature, especially literature written in less-used languages, needs transnational promotion and increased visibility.