european essay prize

For the movement of thinking

The European Essay Award reveals to readers the best essays in all disciplines. It draws attention to authors whose work bear witness to and offer a fertile critique of current societies, their practices and ideologies. Awarded since 1975, it is the first literary prize devoted solely to the genre of the essay.

Arundhati Roy is awarded the European Essay Prize 2023

© F. Mantovani

The jury of the Prix Européen de l’Essai wishes to highlight an enriching work in terms of reflection on the construction of the world and the relationship with language. Arundhati Roy uses the essay as a form of combat, analysing fascism and the way it is being structured. This is an issue that is increasingly occupying our lives. Her essays offer shelter to a multitude of people. In awarding the prize for her literary work, the jury is also acknowledging the author’s commitment to political action.

REPLAY — European Essay Prize Award Ceremony

— Introduction Speech Antoine Gallimard Director of Editions Gallimard

— Welcome Speech Cyril Veillon President of the jury of the European Essay Prize and of the Charles Veillon Foundation

Photos © Sylvain Chabloz 12/12/2023 Lausanne Palace

REPLAY — European Essay Prize 2023 Round Table

In partnership with the University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Theâtre de Vidy

Arundhati Roy discuss citizenship and identity, environment and globalization, caste and language. In conversation with Caroline Abu Sa’da , member of the jury of the European Essay Prize and Managing Director of SOS MÉDITERRANÉE Switzerland and Nicola Pozza , Section de langues et civilisations slaves et de l’Asie du Sud (SLAS), UNIL. Welcome by Vincent Baudriller , Director of the Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne and Cyril Veillon , President of the Charles Veillon Foundation.

Photos © Pierre-Antoine Grisoni – Strates 11/11/2023 Théâtre de Vidy, Lausanne

«We know what happened in Europe when an organization with a similar ideology imposed itself first on a country and then sought Lebensraum (living space). We know that it happened because the rest of the world did not pay heed to the early warnings from those who saw and heard enough to know what was coming. Perhaps those warnings did not sound sufficiently balanced and moderate to a masculine, Anglo-Saxon world, suspicious of any overt display of distress or emotion.» (A. Roy, Azadi , Penguin, 2022, p. 123.)

The chant of “Azadi!” – Urdu for Freedom! – is the slogan of the freedom struggle in Kashmiris against what Kashmiris see as the Indian Occupation. Ironically, it also became the chant of millions on the streets of India against the project of Hindu Nationalism.

Even as Arundhati Roy began to ask what lay between these two calls for freedom – a chasm or a bridge? – the streets fell silent. Not only in India, but all over the world. The coronavirus brought with it another, more terrible understanding of Azadi, making a nonsense of international borders, incarcerating whole populations, and bringing the modern world to a halt like nothing else ever could.

In this series of electrifying essays, Arundhati Roy challenges us to reflect on the meaning of freedom in a world of growing authoritarianism.

The essays include meditations on language, public as well as private, and on the role of fiction and alternative imaginations in these disturbing times. The pandemic, she says, is a portal between one world and another. For all the illness and devastation it has left in its wake, it is an invitation to the human race, an opportunity to imagine another world.

« The End of Imagination was the first of what would turn out to be twenty years worth of non-fiction essays. They were years during which India was changing at lightning speed. For each essay, I searched for a form, for language, for structure and narrative. Could I write as compellingly about irrigation as I could about love and loss and childhood? About the salinization of soil? About drainage? Dams? Crops? About structural adjustment and privatization? About the per unit cost of electricity? About things that affect ordinary people’s lives? Not as reportage, but as a form of storytelling? Literature for everybody – including for people who couldn’t read and write, but who had taught me how to think, and could be read for?»

Arundhati Roy

Arundhati Roy lives in New Delhi. Her first novel, The God of Small Things , won the Booker Prize in 1997 and was acclaimed as a literary highlight throughout the world. Alongside her political and humanitarian commitment, she pursues a rich literary activity, with – among other works – her novel The Ministry of Utmost Happiness , for which she received the Bruno Kreisky Prize for Political Books in 2017, and the collection of essays My Seditious Heart (2019).

For more information: press release

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Arundhati Roy wins the 2023 European Essay Prize for lifetime achievement

She received the award for the french translation of her collection of essays titled ‘azadi: freedom, fascism, fiction’ in english..

Writer Arundhati Roy has been awarded the 45th European Essay Prize for lifetime achievement for the French translation of her compilation of essays titled Azadi: Liberté, Fascisme, Fiction ( Azadi: Freedom, Fascism, Fiction in English) . Roy will receive a cash prize of CHF 20,000 (about Rs 18 lakh), at a ceremony on September 12, 2023 in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The jury of the Prix Europeen de l’Essai said that Roy uses the essay as a form of “combat, analysing fascism and the way it is being structured.” The jury also acknowledged Roy’s “commitment to political action”. In Azadi , she tackles issues of language, public as well as private, and on the role of fiction and alternative imaginations of the present times.

Since its inception in 1975, the award has honoured a book or the work of an author “who, through their writings, contributes to nourishing and spreading the evolution of thought”.

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European Essay Prize awards lifetime achievement to writer Arundhati Roy

Roy receives award for French translation of her essay compilation titled 'Azadi'

Writer Arundhati Roy has been awarded the 45th European Essay Prize for lifetime achievement, the Charles Veillon Foundation has announced.

Roy has been awarded the prize for the French translation of her compilation of essays titled 'Azadi' (2021).

"The jury of the Prix Europeen de l'Essai wishes to highlight an enriching work in terms of reflection on the construction of the world and the relationship with language. Arundhati Roy uses the essay as a form of combat, analysing fascism and the way it is being structured. This is an issue that is increasingly occupying our lives. Her essays offer shelter to a multitude of people," the Foundation said in a statement. The jury also acknowledged Roy's "commitment to political action".

In 'Azadi', Roy has reflected on the meaning of freedom in a world of "growing authoritarianism". The essays include meditations on language, public as well as private, and on the role of fiction and alternative imaginations in current times.

The Delhi-based author's works, including Booker Prize winning 'The God of Small Things', 'The Ministry of Utmost Happiness', and 'My Seditious Heart' have garnered her national and international acclaim.

Roy will receive the award, along with the prize money of CHF 20,000 (approx Rs 18 lakh), at a ceremony on September 12 in the Swiss city of Lausanne.

Since its inception in 1975, the award by the Charles Veillon Foundation has honoured a book or the work of an author "who, through their writings, contributes to nourishing and spreading the evolution of thought".

"It draws attention to authors whose work bear witness to and offer a fertile commentary on current societies, their practices, and ideologies," the foundation said.

Earlier, authors including Alexandre Zinoviev, Edgar Morin, Tzvetan Todorov, Amin Maalouf, Siri Hustvedt, Alessandro Baricco, Jean Starobinski, Iso Camartin, and Peter von Matt have been awarded the European Essay Prize.

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Arundhati Roy receives European Essay Prize for lifetime achievement

Writer Arundhati Roy has been awarded the 45th European Essay Prize for lifetime achievement, the Charles Veillon Foundation has announced. Roy has been awarded the prize for the French translation of her compilation of essays titled Azadi  (2021).

“The jury of the Prix Europeen de lEssai wishes to highlight an enriching work in terms of reflection on the construction of the world and the relationship with language. Arundhati Roy uses the essay as a form of combat, analysing fascism and the way it is being structured. This is an issue that is increasingly occupying our lives. Her essays offer shelter to a multitude of people,” the Foundation said in a statement.

Azadi  meditates on the meaning of freedom

The jury also acknowledged Roy’s “commitment to political action”. In Azadi , Roy has reflected on the meaning of freedom in a world of “growing authoritarianism”. The essays include meditations on language, public as well as private, and on the role of fiction and alternative imaginations in current times.

Also read: TN varsity withdraws Arundhati Roy’s book from syllabus on ABVP petition

The Delhi-based authors works, including Booker Prize winning The God of Small Things , The Ministry of Utmost Happiness , and My Seditious Heart  have garnered her national and international acclaim.

Roy will receive the award, along with the prize money of CHF 20,000 (approx Rs 18 lakh), at a ceremony on September 12 in the Swiss city of Lausanne.

Also read: NPR will serve as database for NRC, oppose it, says Arundhati Roy

Since its inception in 1975, the award by the Charles Veillon Foundation has honoured a book or the work of an author “who, through their writings, contributes to nourishing and spreading the evolution of thought”.

“It draws attention to authors whose work bear witness to and offer a fertile commentary on current societies, their practices, and ideologies,” the foundation said.

Earlier, authors including Alexandre Zinoviev, Edgar Morin, Tzvetan Todorov, Amin Maalouf, Siri Hustvedt, Alessandro Baricco, Jean Starobinski, Iso Camartin, and Peter von Matt have been awarded the European Essay Prize.

(With Agency inputs)

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Arundhati Roy Receives European Essay Prize

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Renowned writer Arundhati Roy has been honored with the 45th European Essay Prize for lifetime achievement. The prestigious award, presented by the Charles Veillon Foundation, recognizes her remarkable contribution to literature. Roy’s compilation of essays, ‘Azadi’ (2021), particularly the French translation, garnered acclaim and secured her this accolade. The jury praised her profound reflections on global issues and the power of language, noting her ability to confront fascism through her essays. ‘Azadi’ explores the concept of freedom in an increasingly authoritarian world, emphasizing the role of fiction and alternative imaginings. Arundhati Roy’s notable works, including the Booker Prize-winning ‘The God of Small Things,’ have earned her both national and international recognition. The award ceremony will take place on September 12 in Lausanne, Switzerland, where Arundhati Roy will be presented with the prize money of CHF 20,000 (approx Rs 18 lakh). The Charles Veillon Foundation, established in 1975, aims to honor authors whose writings contribute to the advancement of thought and provide insightful commentary on contemporary societies and ideologies. Notable past recipients of the European Essay Prize include Alexandre Zinoviev, Amin Maalouf, and Siri Hustvedt. Re-reported from the article originally published in The Week.

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Arundhati Roy wins 45th European Essay Prize for 'Azadi'

KOCHI: Writer and activist Arundhati Roy has been awarded the 45th European Essay Prize for lifetime achievement on the occasion of the French translation of her latest essay, 'Azadi' . The French translation 'Liberte, fascisme, fiction' appeared in Gallimard, a leading French publishing group.

"The jury of the Prix European de I'Essai wishes to highlight an enriching work in terms of reflection on the construction of the world and the relationship with language. Arundhati Roy uses the essay as a form of combat, analysing fascism and the way it is being structured. This is an issue that is increasingly occupying our lives. Her essays offer shelter to a multitude of people. In awarding the prize for her literary work, the jury is also acknowledging the author's commitment to political action," said a release here.

The chant of 'Azadi!' (Urdu for Freedom!) is the slogan of the freedom struggle. "It also became the chant of millions on the streets of India against the project of Hindu nationalism," it said.

In this series of electrifying essays, Arundhati Roy challenges us to reflect on the meaning of freedom in a world of growing authoritarianism, it noted.

The essays include meditations on language, public as well as private, and on the role of fiction and alternative imaginations in these disturbing times.

At a function to be held on September 11 at the European Essay Prize 2023 Round Table, in partnership with the University of Lausanne (Unil), Theatre de Vidy, Lausanne, Arundhati Roy will discuss citizenship and identity, environment and globalisation, caste and language.

The award ceremony will take place the next day (September 12) at the Lausanne Palace, where she will give a lecture.

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Writer Arundhati Roy receives European Essay Prize for lifetime achievement

Roy will receive the award, along with the prize money of chf 20,000 (approx rs 18 lakh), at a ceremony on september 12 in the swiss city of lausanne.

Arundhati Roy

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Arundhati Roy awarded 45th European Essay Prize for lifetime achievement

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Arundhati Roy awarded the 45th European Prize for Lifetime Achievement: 5 works by the critically acclaimed author

The 45th prix européen de l’essai award ceremony was held on september 12 in lausanne, switzerland. trained as an architect, roy, chose to function freewheelingly, producing an array of works across media. here are five works that reflect the distinctive achievement of roy as an artist..

Writer Arundhati Roy. (Photo: Mayank Austen Soofi via Twitter)

Arundhati Roy became the first Indian recipient of the coveted 45th Prix Européen de l’Essai for Lifetime Achievement. The award was announced in June and the ceremony was held on Tuesday in Lausanne, Switzerland. She was given Rs 18 lakh in prize money for the translation of Azadi: Freedom. Fascism. Fiction (Hamish Hamilton by Penguin Random House, 2020), Azadi: Liberté, Fascisme, Fiction , which has been translated by Irène Margit and appeared in Gallimard, a leading French publishing group.

The unique thing about the prize is that it’s always awarded to an essayist: Prix Européen de l’Essai. Past winners include Amin Maalouf and Siri Hustvedt. Since 1975, the Lausanne-based Charles Veillon Foundation, which confers the prize, has been recognising literary works that “foster understanding between peoples and unity through the bonds of the spirit”.

According to the jury statement, “Arundhati Roy uses the essay as a form of combat, analysing fascism and the way it is being structured. This is an issue that is increasingly occupying our lives. Her essays offer shelter to a multitude of people. In awarding the prize for her literary work, the jury is also acknowledging the author’s commitment to political action.” Perhaps, through this recognition, publishers in India may recognise and give due attention to the essay form.

In the Introduction to Azadi , Roy expresses how the book’s title came about. For a collection of essays, it was strange for her to blurt out, “A novel” after a thoughtful hesitation to her publisher, Simon Prosser. She writes, “Because a novel gives a writer the freedom to be as complicated as she wants — to move through worlds, languages, and time, through societies, communities, and politics.” Who can know this any better than Roy herself, who has dedicated her life to putting hard-hitting reality and politics in an easy and accessible language?

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Roy won the Booker Prize for Fiction in 1997 with her debut novel The God of Small Things . A complex caricature of growing up in a world contrivedly falling apart owing to multiple fractures in a variety of ways it functions, through ...Small Things , Roy invented a new idiom for fiction writing in India. While Salman Rushdie had already refused to explain to the West and had opened up ways to chutney-ify the language, Roy pried open its fault lines and contextualised what it means to live in this new, messy, and corporatised India, something several privileged shied away from articulating.

But it’s her essays that troubled the powerful more than her fiction. Her observant and empathetic tone is closer to that of Joan Didion, a pioneering essay writer herself. It’s interesting to note that both were mesmerised by cinema and were deeply disappointed at having discovered that words didn’t perfectly translate onto the screen. (Both Didion and Roy have noted how their screenplays were different from the final products. ...Small Things happens to be Roy’s indulgent, revenge project, as she wanted to write something that couldn’t be reproduced on the screen.) Unlike Didion, Roy even acted in films.

Trained as an architect, Roy chose to function freewheelingly, producing an array of works across media. Below are five works that reflect the distinctive achievement of Roy as an artist:

The first is a speech she delivered at the Swedish Academy earlier this year at a conference called Thought and Truth Under Pressure . It was published by Lit Hub titled   Approaching Gridlock: Arundhati Roy on Free Speech and Failing Democracy . The principal takeaway of this critical piece is for a fiction writer as she notes how there can be “no fiction without appropriation”, and she did it because of the identity politics at play when we do words and language. She says, “In India, like in other countries, the weaponisation of identity as a form of resistance has become the dominant response to the weaponisation of identity as a form of oppression. Those who have historically been oppressed, enslaved, colonised, stereotyped, erased, unheard and unseen precisely because of our identities — our race, caste, ethnicity, gender or sexual preference — are now defiantly doubling down on those very identities to face off against that oppression.”

Before the international recognition that came her way with the Booker Prize, the author starred in multiple films directed by her ex-husband and naturalist Pradip Krishen. All available on YouTube, they include Massey Sahib (1985), based on Joyce Cary’s novel Mister Johnson (1939), in which Roy played a tribal girl, Saila. Then, the 1989 English-language movie In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones , with a Shah Rukh Khan cameo as Senior, for which Roy received the National Film Award for Best Screenplay and Krishen won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in English. The movie was inspired by Roy’s experiences as a student of architecture in Delhi. The last one is Electric Moon (1992), which was written by Roy and directed by Krishen, who received yet again a National Film Award for Best Feature Film in English, is a satire that can give Jaipur Literature Festival a run for its money.

While her collections of essays critical of the government, multinational companies, tribal rights, Gandhi and Ambedkar, and angst against globalisation and capitalism are crucial reads, it’s her return to fiction after 20 years of The God of Small Things that’s unmissable. The Ministry of Utmost Happiness is precisely the kind of work that reflects the facts and fiction in an internecine way as they can be presented. A deeply flawed book, in the sense that the literary sensibilities are overcome by the political ideology of its writer, Ministry still manages to capture the fluidity of borders, genders, and the lives we live in a way only a few literary works do.

The Delhi-based writer is truly a poetic rendition of a thought which comes as a flicker of hope in the darkest hours.

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Arundhati Roy Received 45th European Essay Prize Awards For ‘Azadi’

Ms Roy secured the award for the French translation of her essay compilation titled ‘Azadi’.

The God of Small Things author Arundhati Roy received the prestigious 45th European Essay Prize for Lifetime Achievement, given by Charles Veillon Foundation. She received the award at a ceremony on September 12, 2023 at the Lausanne Palace.

Ms Roy was honoured for the French translation of her compilation of essays titled ‘Azadi’ – Liberté, fascisme, fiction (Paris: Gallimard, 2021). The book is a reflection on the meaning of freedom in a world of ‘growing authoritarianism’. It includes meditations on language, public and private life, role of fiction and alternative imaginations in the present times.

“The jury of the Prix Europeen de l’Essai wishes to highlight an enriching work in terms of reflection on the construction of the world and the relationship with language”, said the Charles Veillon Foundation in an official statement.

“Arundhati Roy uses the essay as a form of combat, analysing fascism and the way it is being structured. This is an issue that is increasingly occupying our lives. Her essays offer shelter to a multitude of people”, the statement added.

By giving the award, the jury also acknowledges the author’s commitment to political action. Ms Roy is a political activist involved in human rights and environmental causes.

The jury also quoted an excerpt from Ms Roy’s award winning book  Azadi.  It reads; “When the country burns, the far right will once again present themselves to us as the only ones capable of running a “hard state” and handling the problem. Will a polity that has been deeply polarized be able to see though these games? It’s hard to say”.

Ms Roy won the Booker Prize for Fiction in 1997 for her novel The God of Small Things, which became the best-selling book by a non-expatriate Indian author.

• George Issac And Mary Roy: The Story Of Kerala’s First Rhodes Scholar And His Sister, Who Challenged Patriarchy

She was born in Shillong in India, to Mary Roy , a Malayali Jacobite Syrian Christian women’s rights activist from Kerala and Rajib Roy, a Bengali Hindu tea plantation manager from Calcutta. She later moved to Kerala with her mother, after her parents divorced. She studied Architecture in Delhi, where she met architect Gerard da Cunha. They married in 1978 and lived together in Delhi, and then Goa, before they separated and divorced in 1982.

The God of Small Things, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness , and My Seditious Heart  are the major works garnered her national and international acclaim.

The Charles Veillon Foundation established the European Essay Prize in 1975 in order to support authors. The prize is “to help them, through their writings, to create links, an essential condition for tolerance in the relative freedom of our time”.

It also attempts to “create spaces for fruitful dialogue by promoting interdisciplinarity and placing the person at the centre of cultural and societal orientations”.

Earlier, authors including Alexandre Zinoviev, Edgar Morin, Tzvetan Todorov, Amin Maalouf, Siri Hustvedt, Alessandro Baricco, Jean Starobinski, Iso Camartin, and Peter von Matt have been awarded the European Essay Prize.

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Author Arundhati Roy receives the Lifetime Achievement Award from the 45th European Essay Prize

We look at some of her best, most passionate non-fiction works dedicated to political, social, and environmental causes..

“It would be presumptuous, arrogant, and even a little stupid of a writer to believe that she could change the world with her writing. But it would be pitiful if she didn’t even try,” Arundhati Roy said as she received a Lifetime Achievement Award during the 45th edition of the European Essay Prize (Prix Europeen de I’Essai) at the Lausanne Palace in Switzerland, two days ago.  Known for her unapologetic candour in everything she does and formidable words of truth, the award comes as little surprise to most. A few months ago, the Charles Vellion Foundation announced the award for her 2021 book Azadi —a compilation of Roy’s essays in which she writes about the true meaning of freedom in a growing authoritarian climate. “The jury of the Prix Europeen de I’Essai wishes to highlight an enriching work in terms of reflection on the construction of the world and the relationship with language. Arundhati Roy uses essays as a form of combat, analysing fascism and the way it is being structured. This is an issue that is increasingly occupying our lives. Her essays offer shelter to a multitude of people,” read a statement. 

The award is a testament to much of her life’s work and Roy took centre stage to express her gratitude and her unwavering belief in seeking the truth. She looked back at her journey, as a writer first, and then as an essayist. “What makes me happiest is that it is a prize for literature. Not for peace. Not for culture or cultural freedom, but for literature. For writing. And for writing the kind of essays that I write and have written for the past 25 years,” she said.  Roy has received a Man Booker Prize for her fictional novel God of Small Things, published in 1997, and was nominated for her Ministry of Utmost Happiness , a decade later. She is a political activist and has been at the forefront of battles concerning human rights, equality, communalism and the environment. Is there something she can’t do?  To commemorate the occasion, we decided to take a look at some of her best non-fiction work that we’d definitely recommend giving a read.  The Shape of the Beast 

The Shape of the Beast  is a collection of fourteen interviews that the author conducted between 2001 and 2007 of those involved in pertinent issues of the time such as the Gujarat riots, the Kashmir issue, the Narmada Dam project, the Maoist rebellion, and others. Through her work, Roy uncovers rarely-spoken-about ideas and themes. "These interviews were a flexible way of thinking aloud and exploring ideas—personal as well as political—without having to nail them down with an artificially structured cohesion and fit them into an unassailable grand thesis,” she wrote in the preface of the book.  The Doctor and the Saint

This 2017 book is an insight into the deep-rooted practices of casteism in India. Roy, very brilliantly looks at the age-old practice of caste through a historical lens, uncovering the dark truths of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s philosophy, and the modern prism that finds itself amid law enforcement systems and communities at large.  Azadi 

“The chant of ‘Azadi!’—Urdu for ‘Freedom’—is the slogan of the freedom struggle in Kashmir against what the Kashmiris see as the Indian Occupation. Ironically, it also became the chant of millions on the streets of India against the project of Hindu nationalism,” reads the synopsis of her book Azadi . This collection of essays draws focus to the meaning of freedom in an ever-growing and largely authoritarian world and challenges the preconceived notions to reimagine a better future.  An Ordinary Person’s Guide to Empire 

A compilation of 14 essays written between 2002 and 2004, An Ordinary Person’s Guide to Empire seeks to create a common thread amid America’s war on terror, the threat of corporate power, communal and caste politics in India, the significance of NGOs and a dangerous culture perpetuated by mass media. It delves deep into the details and intricacies of these issues and covers them in the most enriching manner.  The Algebra of Infinite Justice 

This collection of essays sheds light on the happenings of a young India on the brink of a new millennium—the euphoria of succeeding in the nuclear tests, the unprecedented impact of development projects on the environment, terrorism, and more. Her essay on the nuclear tests challenged the notion of having nuclear power and it garnered attention across the world. Roy received accolades for her sincerity and honesty. 

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Arundhati Roy wins 45th European Essay Prize for ‘Azadi’

Writer and activist Arundhati Roy has been awarded the 45th European Essay Prize for lifetime achievement on the occasion of the French translation of her latest essay, 'Azadi'.

45th European Essay Prize for ‘Azadi’

Writer and activist Arundhati Roy has been awarded the 45th European Essay Prize for lifetime achievement on the occasion of the French translation of her latest essay, ‘Azadi’. The French translation ‘Liberte, fascisme, fiction’ appeared in Gallimard, a leading French publishing group. At a function to be held on September 11 at the European Essay Prize 2023 Round Table, in partnership with the University of Lausanne (Unil), Theatre de Vidy, Lausanne, Arundhati Roy will discuss citizenship and identity, environment and globalisation, caste and language.

The award ceremony will take place the next day (September 12) at the Lausanne Palace, where she will give a lecture. In this series of electrifying essays, Arundhati Roy challenges us to reflect on the meaning of freedom in a world of growing authoritarianism, it noted. The essays include meditations on language, public as well as private, and on the role of fiction and alternative imaginations in these disturbing times.

An Overview of the News

• Arundhati Roy’s book of essays, ‘Azadi’ (2021), especially the French translation, received acclaim.
• ‘Azaadi’ explores the concept of freedom in an increasingly totalitarian world, with an emphasis on fiction and alternative imaginations.
• Roy is known for his notable works, including the Booker Prize-winning novel The God of Small Things.
• The award ceremony will be held on September 12 in Lausanne, Switzerland.
• Past recipients of the European Essay Prize include Alexander Zinoviev, Amin Malouf and Siri Hustvedt.

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European Essay Prize

• It is the first literary award dedicated solely to the genre of the essay.
• The award recognizes outstanding essays that criticise current societies, their practices and ideologies.
• It has been awarded since 1975 highlighting its long standing presence in the literary scene.
• Award-winning essays shed light on social norms, political structures, cultural practices, and socioeconomic challenges.

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Arundhati Roy receives European Essay Prize for lifetime achievement

New Delhi: Acclaimed writer Arundhati Roy has been awarded the 45th European Essay Prize for lifetime achievement, the Charles Veillon Foundation has announced.She has been awarded the prize for the French translation of her compilation of essays titled "Azadi" (2021).

"The jury of the Prix Europeen de l'Essai wishes to highlight an enriching work in terms of reflection on the construction of the world and the relationship with language. Arundhati Roy uses the essay as a form of combat, analysing fascism and the way it is being structured. This is an issue that is increasingly occupying our lives. Her essays offer shelter to a multitude of people," the Foundation said in a statement.

The jury also acknowledged Roy's "commitment to political action".

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In "Azadi", Roy has reflected on the meaning of freedom in a world of "growing authoritarianism". The essays include meditations on language, public as well as private, and on the role of fiction and alternative imaginations in current times.

The Delhi-based author's works, including Booker Prize winning "The God of Small Things", "The Ministry of Utmost Happiness", and "My Seditious Heart" have garnered her national and international acclaim.

Roy will receive the award, along with the prize money of CHF 20,000 (approx Rs 18 lakh), at a ceremony on September 12 in the Swiss city of Lausanne.

Since its inception in 1975, the award by the Charles Veillon Foundation has honoured a book or the work of an author "who, through their writings, contributes to nourishing and spreading the evolution of thought".

"It draws attention to authors whose work bear witness to and offer a fertile commentary on current societies, their practices, and ideologies," the foundation said.

Earlier, authors including Alexandre Zinoviev, Edgar Morin, Tzvetan Todorov, Amin Maalouf, Siri Hustvedt, Alessandro Baricco, Jean Starobinski, Iso Camartin, and Peter von Matt have been awarded the European Essay Prize.

(With PTI inputs)

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New Delhi, Jun 16 (PTI) Writer Arundhati Roy has been awarded the 45th European Essay Prize for lifetime achievement, the Charles Veillon Foundation has announced.

Roy has been awarded the prize for the French translation of her compilation of essays titled “Azadi” (2021).

“The jury of the Prix Europeen de l’Essai wishes to highlight an enriching work in terms of reflection on the construction of the world and the relationship with language. Arundhati Roy uses the essay as a form of combat, analysing fascism and the way it is being structured. This is an issue that is increasingly occupying our lives. Her essays offer shelter to a multitude of people,” the Foundation said in a statement.

The jury also acknowledged Roy’s “commitment to political action”.

In “Azadi”, Roy has reflected on the meaning of freedom in a world of “growing authoritarianism”. The essays include meditations on language, public as well as private, and on the role of fiction and alternative imaginations in current times.

The Delhi-based author’s works, including Booker Prize winning “The God of Small Things”, “The Ministry of Utmost Happiness”, and “My Seditious Heart” have garnered her national and international acclaim.

Roy will receive the award, along with the prize money of CHF 20,000 (approx Rs 18 lakh), at a ceremony on September 12 in the Swiss city of Lausanne.

Since its inception in 1975, the award by the Charles Veillon Foundation has honoured a book or the work of an author “who, through their writings, contributes to nourishing and spreading the evolution of thought”.

“It draws attention to authors whose work bear witness to and offer a fertile commentary on current societies, their practices, and ideologies,” the foundation said.

Earlier, authors including Alexandre Zinoviev, Edgar Morin, Tzvetan Todorov, Amin Maalouf, Siri Hustvedt, Alessandro Baricco, Jean Starobinski, Iso Camartin, and Peter von Matt have been awarded the European Essay Prize. PTI MAH SHD SHD

This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.

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Arundhati Roy wins 45th European Essay Prize for ‘Azadi’.

The award ceremony will take place the next day (September 12) at the Lausanne Palace, where she will give a lecture. In this series of electrifying essays, Arundhati Roy challenges us to reflect on the meaning of freedom in a world of growing authoritarianism, it noted. The essays include meditations on language, public as well as private, and on the role of fiction and alternative imaginations in these disturbing times.

An Overview of the News

• Arundhati Roy’s book of essays, ‘Azadi’ (2021), especially the French translation, received acclaim.
• ‘Azaadi’ explores the concept of freedom in an increasingly totalitarian world, with an emphasis on fiction and alternative imaginations.
• Roy is known for his notable works, including the Booker Prize-winning novel The God of Small Things.
• The award ceremony will be held on September 12 in Lausanne, Switzerland.
• Past recipients of the European Essay Prize include Alexander Zinoviev, Amin Malouf and Siri Hustvedt.

European Essay Prize

• It is the first literary award dedicated solely to the genre of the essay.
• The award recognizes outstanding essays that criticise current societies, their practices and ideologies.
• It has been awarded since 1975 highlighting its long standing presence in the literary scene.
• Award-winning essays shed light on social norms, political structures, cultural practices, and socioeconomic challenges.

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Culture and Creativity

Here are the winners of the 2024 european union prize for literature.

The jury of the European Union Prize of Literature has announced the laureates of the 2024 edition of the prize at the Brussels Book Fair.

For the 2024 edition, emerging authors from 13 countries had been nominated by their country. An international jury composed of seven literary personalities have announced the winner of the Grand Prix and the five special mentions on 4 April 2024, at the Brussels Book Fair.

The 2024 winners

Theis Ørntoft , from Denmark is the winner of the 2024 edition of the EU Prize for Literature. The five authors who have received a mention are

• Todor Todorov from Bulgaria
• Deniz Utlu from Germany
• María Elísabet Bragadóttir from Iceland
• Sholeh Rezazadeh from the Netherlands
• Tina Vrščaj from Slovenia

All works nominated this year showcase the richness and diversity of European literature. At the European Commission, we take pride in supporting a prize that helps talented writers from across Europe connect with readers worldwide through translations and promotion. Let's keep celebrating our diverse European literature!

- said Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth.

About the prize

The European Union Prize for Literature recognises emerging fiction writers from the European Union and beyond since its creation in 2009. The Prize celebrates outstanding new literary talents from all 40 countries participating in the Creative Europe programme.

Highlighting the creativity and the immense and diverse wealth of Europe’s contemporary literature in the field of fiction, EUPL promotes the circulation of literature within Europe and encourage greater interest in non-national literary works.

The EUPL is organised by a consortium of associations comprising the Federation of European Publishers (FEP) and the European and International Booksellers Federation (EIBF), with the support of the European Commission.

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