Jerusalem Prize

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Jerusalem Prize
Schwarz-Bart-67.jpg
Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek (r) handing French author André Schwarz-Bart the 1967 Jerusalem Prize for Literature
Awarded forwriters whose works have dealt with themes of human freedom in society
LocationJerusalem
Presented byOrganisers of the Jerusalem International Book Forum
First award1963;62 years ago (1963)
Website https://www.jbookforum.com/jerusalem-prize-winner

The Jerusalem Prize for the Freedom of the Individual in Society is a biennial literary award given to writers whose works have dealt with themes of human freedom in society. [1]

Contents

It is awarded at the Jerusalem International Book Forum (previously known as the Jerusalem International Book Fair), and the recipient usually delivers an address when accepting the award. The award is valued at $10,000.

The prize's inaugural year was 1963, awarded to Bertrand Russell who had won the Nobel Prize in 1950. Octavio Paz, V. S. Naipaul, J. M. Coetzee, and Mario Vargas Llosa all won the Jerusalem Prize prior to winning the Nobel Prize in Literature.

No prize was awarded in 2023, the first such occasion in the award's history.

List of laureates

YearPictureNameNationalityLanguage(s)Genre(s)Refs
1963 Bertrand Russell transparent bg.png Bertrand Russell
(1872—1970)		 United Kingdom Englishphilosophy, essay
1965 ETH-BIB-Max Frisch-Com C20-015-023-001.tif Max Frisch
(1911—1991)		 Switzerland Germandrama, novel, philosophy
1967 Schwarz-Bart-67.jpg André Schwarz-Bart
(1928—2006)		 France Frenchnovel
1969 Silone.JPG Ignazio Silone
(1900—1978)		 Italy Italiannovel, short story, essay
1971 Jorge Luis Borges (crop).jpg Jorge Luis Borges
(1899—1986)		 Argentina Spanishshort story, poetry, essay, philosophy, literary criticism, translation
1973 Eugene Ionesco 01.jpg Eugène Ionesco
(1909—1994)		 Romania / France Frenchdrama, novel
1975 Simone de Beauvoir2.png Simone de Beauvoir
(1908—1986)		 France Frenchphilosophy, novel, drama
1977 Paz0.jpg Octavio Paz
(1914—1998)		 Mexico Spanishpoetry, essay
1979 IsaiahBerlin1983.jpg Isaiah Berlin
(1909—1997)		 Russia / United Kingdom Englishphilosophy, essay
1981 Graham Greene angol iro, 1975 Fortepan 84697.jpg Graham Greene
(1904—1991)		 United Kingdom Englishnovel, short story, autobiography, drama, essay, screenplay
1983 VS Naipaul 2016 Dhaka.jpg Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul
(1932—2018)		 Trinidad and Tobago / United Kingdom Englishnovel, short story, essay
1985 Milan Kundera redux.jpg Milan Kundera
(1929–2023)		 Czechoslovakia / France Czech / Frenchnovel, short story, poetry, essay, drama
1987 J.M. Coetzee by Kubik.JPG John Maxwell Coetzee
(b. 1940)		 South Africa / Australia Englishnovel, essay, translation
1989 ErnestoSabato001.JPG Ernesto Sabato
(1911—2011)		 Argentina Spanishnovel, essay
1991 Zbigniew Herbert.jpg Zbigniew Herbert
(1924—1998)		 Poland Polishpoetry, essay, drama
1993 Stefan Heym (1982).jpg Stefan Heym
(1913—2001)		 Germany German / Englishnovel, short story, autobiography, essay
1995 Mario Vargas Llosa (crop 2).jpg Mario Vargas Llosa
(b. 1936)		 Peru / Spain Spanishnovel, short story, essay, drama, memoirs
1997 Jorge Semprun 2009.jpg Jorge Semprún
(1923—2011)		 Spain French / Spanishnovel, essay
1999 Don delillo nyc 02-cropped.jpg Don DeLillo
(b. 1936)		 United States Englishnovel, short story, drama, screenplay, essay
2001 Susan Sontag 1979 (c)Lynn Gilbert (headshot).jpg Susan Sontag
(1933—2004)		 United States Englishshort story, novel, drama, essay
2003 Arthur-miller.jpg Arthur Miller
(1915—2005)		 United States Englishdrama, screenplay, essay
2005 Antonio Lobo Antunes (2010).jpg António Lobo Antunes
(b. 1942)		 Portugal Portuguesenovel
2007 2007.10.23. -Leszek Kolakowski Foto Mariusz Kubik.jpg Leszek Kołakowski
(1927—2009)		 Poland Polishphilosophy, history
2009 Murakami Haruki (2009).jpg Haruki Murakami
(b. 1949)		 Japan Japanesenovel, short story
2011 Ianmcewan.jpg Ian McEwan
(b. 1948)		 United Kingdom Englishnovel, short story, drama, screenplay [2]
2013 Munoz Molina Antonio Koeln 160911.jpg Antonio Muñoz Molina
(b. 1956)		 Spain Spanishnovel [3]
2015 Ismail Kadare (portret).jpg Ismail Kadare
(1936—2024)		 Albania Albaniannovel, short story, poetry, essay, drama, screenplay [4]
2017 Karl Ove Knausgard.jpg Karl Ove Knausgaard
(b. 1968)		 Norway Norwegiannovel, autobiography [5]
2019 Joyce carol oates 2014.jpg Joyce Carol Oates
(b. 1938)		 United States Englishnovel, short story, drama, essay, memoirs, poetry
2021 Julian Barnes 2019 (cropped).jpg Julian Barnes
(b. 1946)		 United Kingdom Englishnovel, essay, memoirs, short story [6]
2025 Michel Houellebecq no Fronteiras do Pensamento Porto Alegre 2016 (30895029365) (cropped).jpg Michel Houellebecq

(b. 1956)

 France Frenchnovel, poetry, essay [7]

References

  1. ↑ "The Jerusalem Prize". The Jerusalem International Book Forum. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  2. ↑ "Israel boycotters target authors, artists". Ynetnews . Associated Press. 5 March 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
  3. ↑ "Spanish author Antonio Munoz Molina to receive Jerusalem Prize at book fair". JTA . January 9, 2013. Archived from the original on January 13, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
  4. ↑ Wojno, Rebecca (January 15, 2015). "Albanian writer to receive Jerusalem Prize". The Times of Israel .
  5. ↑ Izikovich, Gili (May 28, 2017). "Karl Ove Knausgaard Named 2017 Laureate for Jerusalem Prize in Literature". Haaretz .
  6. ↑ "Barnes Wins Jerusalem Prize". Locus Online. 4 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  7. ↑ "2025 Winner". The Jerusalem International Book Forum. Retrieved 2025-04-10.
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