Maria Navarro Skarange (26), wins 2020 EU Prize for Literature with her book, Bok om sorg (Book of grief).
13 emerging authors from across Europe have been announced as laureates of the 2020 European Union Prize for Literature.
On 19 May, Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth announced the winners of the 2020 European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL):
Norwegian young author, Maria Navarro Skarange won the prize with her book Bok om sorg (Book of grief).
Maria Navarro Skaranger (born April 27, 1994 in Oslo) is a Norwegian author, raised in multicultural neighborhood of Oslo, Groruddalen.
She debuted in 2015 with the novel Alle utlendinger har lukka gardiner (All foreigners has closed curtains). The critically received novel was about the author’s upbringing environment, the multicultural Romsås. The book- Bok om sorg, which Skarange won the prize for, was published in 2018.
She was also awarded with the Bjørnson Scholarship in 2019 by Den norske bokhandlerforenings.
Corona and books
Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth said:
“In the current crisis we rely more than ever on artists and authors to help us cope with the isolation of confinement. Reading is a powerful way to feel strong emotions, be transported to a different universe in time and space, and meet new characters, all while staying at home. Congratulations to all this year’s winners of the European Prize for Literature!”
HOW WERE THE WINNERS CHOSEN?
National juries comprised of publishers, booksellers, authors and critics have selected the winners from each of the 13 countries participating this year. The Prize has been recognising emerging fiction writers from across Europe since 2009. Since its first year, the European Commission has given awards to 122 authors in 11 editions of the prize.
WHICH COUNTRIES ARE INVOLVED?
The competition is open to the 41 countries involved in the Creative Europe programme. Each year, one third of the countries nominate a jury member, so every country is represented over a three-year cycle