Amicale

The European Romance Novel Prize is back for its 3rd edition (2024-2025), which will be held as part of the "Strasbourg, World Book Capital" year designated by UNESCO.

The competition will feature ten novels from ten Council of Europe member countries:

- Germany: "  Le héros de Berlin " (Maxim LEO)

- Austria: "Le jardin de Winter" (Valérie FRITSCH)

- Azerbaijan: " Le bruit ou le rouge " (Shamkhal HASANOV)

- Spain: "Des palmiers dans la neige" (Luz GABAS)

- France: "Tous les mots qu'on ne s'est pas dits" (Mabrouk RACHEDI)

- Ireland: "Troubles" (Louise Kennedy)

- Italy: "Tu l'as bien mérité" (Barbara FRANDINO)

- Portugal: "La grosse" (Isabel FIGUEIREDO)

- Switzerland: "Sa préférée" (Sarah JOLLIEN FARDEL)

- Ukraine: "Felix Austria" (Sophia ANDRUKHOVYCH).

The prize will be launched at the end of April, as part of the official opening of the "Strasbourg World Book Capital Year" (UNESCO).

Public voting will be open from the end of April to the end of December. During this period, a number of events will be organised to promote the prize and publicise the shortlisted novels (and their authors).

The shortlisted books are already available from the André Malraux multimedia library and other media libraries in the Strasbourg Eurometropole.

Happy reading!

The European Romance Novel Prize was created in 2018 on the initiative of the Book1 association and the Amicale du personnel du Conseil de l'Europe, with the support of the City of Strasbourg, the Médiathèque André Malraux and a group of partners from the diplomatic and/or cultural world based in Strasbourg.

The prize is awarded to a work of fiction that meets the following criteria:

- original work by a living author

- highlighting the importance of love (in all its forms)

- recently published

- in a Council of Europe member country

- translated into French.

It takes place over a two-year cycle: one year for the presentation of the shortlisted novels, through the organisation of various events with a parallel public vote; and the second year for the reception in Strasbourg of the winner, with an official ceremony and a meeting with the public.

The winner is chosen by a grand jury, half of whom are prize partners and the other half independent readers, on the basis of the results of the public vote. The winner receives a trophy and a cheque for €5,000, which is presented in person at an official ceremony at Strasbourg City Hall.

For the 1st edition (2019-2020), seven novels from seven European countries (Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain and Switzerland) were entered. The winner was Maria Duenas (Spain), for her novel L'espionne de Tanger.

For the 2nd edition (2022-2023), seven novels from seven European countries (Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Russia and Spain) were once again in the running. The winner was Cristina Comencini (Italy), for her novel "Quatre amours".

The partners in this 3rd edition of the prize are: the Book1 association, the André Malraux Media Library and the City of Strasbourg, the Amicale du personnel du Conseil de l'Europe, the Consulates General of Austria, Portugal and Switzerland in Strasbourg, the Permanent Representations of Azerbaijan and Ukraine to the Council of Europe, the Goethe Institute, the Alliance française Strasbourg Europe, the Italian Cultural Institute and the Spanish Language School.