The Franz Kafka Prize is an international literary award presented in honour of Franz Kafka, the Jewish, Bohemian, German-language novelist. The prize was first awarded in 2001 and is co-sponsored by the Franz Kafka Society and the city of Prague, Czech Republic.

Franz Kafka Prize
CountryCzech Republic
Presented byFranz Kafka Society
Reward(s)$10,000
First awarded2001
Websitewww.franzkafka-soc.cz

Award information and history

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At a presentation held annually in the Old Town Hall (Prague), the recipient receives $10,000, a diploma, and a bronze statuette.[1] Each award is often called the "Kafka Prize" or "Kafka Award".

The award earned some prestige in the mid 2000s by foreshadowing the Nobel Prize when two of its winners went on to win the Nobel Prize in Literature the same year, Elfriede Jelinek (2004) and Harold Pinter (2005).[2]

The criteria for winning the award include the artwork's "humanistic character and contribution to cultural, national, language [sic] and religious tolerance, its existential, timeless character, its generally human validity and its ability to hand over [sic] a testimony about our times."[3]

Award winners

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Previous winners.[4]

Year Picture Winner Nationality Language(s) Genre(s) Ref(s)
2022
2021   Ivan Vyskočil
(1929–2023)
  Czech Republic Czech novel, drama [5]
2020   Milan Kundera
(1929–2023)
  France/  Czech Republic French/Czech novel, short story, poetry, essay, drama [6]
2019   Pierre Michon
(1945–)
  France French novel, short story
2018   Ivan Wernisch
(1942–)
  Czech Republic Czech poetry, translation [7]
2017   Margaret Atwood
(1939–)
  Canada English poetry, novel, short story, literary criticism, essay [8]
2016   Claudio Magris
(1939–)
  Italy Italian essay, translation, novel, short story [9]
2015   Eduardo Mendoza
(1943–)
  Spain Spanish novel, short story, drama, essay [10]
2014   Yan Lianke
(1958–)
  China Chinese novel, short story [11]
2013   Amos Oz
(1939–2018)
  Israel Hebrew novel, short story, essay [12][13]
2012   Daniela Hodrová
(1946–)
  Czech Republic Czech novel [2]
2011   John Banville
(1945–)
  Ireland English novel, short story, drama, screenplay, essay [14]
2010   Václav Havel
(1936–2011)
  Czech Republic Czech poetry, drama, essay [15]
2009   Peter Handke
(1942–)
  Austria German novel, poetry, essay, short story, screenplay, drama
2008   Arnošt Lustig
(1926–2011)
  Czech Republic Czech novel, short story, drama, screenplay [16]
2007   Yves Bonnefoy
(1923–2016)
  France French poetry, essay, translation, short story, history [17]
2006   Haruki Murakami
(1949–)
  Japan Japanese novel, short story, essay, memoirs [18]
2005   Harold Pinter
(1930–2008)
  United Kingdom English drama, screenplay
2004   Elfriede Jelinek
(1946–)
  Austria German novel, poetry, drama, translation
2003   Péter Nádas
(1942–)
  Hungary Hungarian drama, essay, novel [19]
2002   Ivan Klíma
(1931–)
  Czech Republic Czech novel, drama, memoirs [20]
2001   Philip Roth
(1933–2018)
  United States English novel, short story, memoirs, essay

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The Franz Kafka Prize". Společnost Franze Kafky. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Franz Kafka Prize goes to Czech writer Daniela Hodrová". literalab. May 25, 2012. Retrieved May 25, 2012.
  3. ^ "Franz Kafka Prize". The Franz Kafka Society. Retrieved February 23, 2008.
  4. ^ "Franz Kafka Prize, official website". Franz Kafka Society. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  5. ^ "The writer Ivan Vyskočil won the Franz Kafka Award 2021". Franz Kafka Society. 2021-12-17. Retrieved 2022-01-10.
  6. ^ "Milan Kundera 'joyfully' accepts Czech Republic's Franz Kafka prize". The Guardian. 2020-09-22. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  7. ^ "The Franz Kafka International Literary Prize 2018" (PDF). Oct 19, 2018. Retrieved Jan 3, 2019.
  8. ^ "The Franz Kafka International Literary Prize 2017" (PDF). May 29, 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 2, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  9. ^ "The Franz Kafka Prize 2016 – Claudio Magris". Společnost Franze Kafky. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  10. ^ Daniela Uherková (June 2, 2015). "The Laureate of the Franz Kafka Prize 2015 is the Spanish Writer Eduardo Mendoza". SPOLEČNOST FRANZE KAFKY. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
  11. ^ ČTK (May 26, 2014). "Cenu Franze Kafky letos dostane čínský prozaik Jen Lien-kche". České noviny (in Czech). Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  12. ^ "Israeli Author Amos Oz Wins Franz Kafka Prize". AP. May 27, 2013. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  13. ^ "Amos Oz – the New Laureate of the Franz Kafka Prize". Franz Kafka Society. May 28, 2013. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  14. ^ Spain, John (May 26, 2011). "Banville gets top book award". Irish Independent. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  15. ^ "Vaclav Havel wins Franz Kafka prize". CBC News. October 27, 2010. Retrieved October 27, 2010.
  16. ^ "Novelist Lustig awarded Kafka Prize". Agence France-Presse. April 9, 2008. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved April 9, 2008.
  17. ^ "French poet Bonnefoy wins Franz Kafka Prize". CBC News. 30 October 2010. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  18. ^ "Japanese writer Haruki Murakami wins Kafka award". ABC News. October 31, 2006. Retrieved October 31, 2006.
  19. ^ Horáková, Pavla (October 31, 2003). "Franz Kafka Society awards Peter Nadas". Radio Prague. Retrieved October 31, 2003.
  20. ^ Horáková, Pavla (October 31, 2002). "Writer Ivan Klima wins Franz Kafka Prize". Radio Prague. Retrieved October 31, 2002.
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