Fourteen nominees for the 2021 Nordic Council Literature Prize

Writing on wet paper, the decay of capitalism and the lust that goes up in smoke on Scandinavian Star, socially realistic depictions of close relationships and linguistic presence, uncompromisingness, as well as a valley full of plastic flowers are just a few examples of the content that can be found among this year’s nominated works.

Here are the nominees for this year’s literature prize:

The works have been nominated by the national members of the adjudicating committee for the 2021 Nordic Council Literature Prize.

The winner of the 2021 Nordic Council Literature Prize will be announced on 2 November in Copenhagen in conjunction with the Session of the Nordic Council. The winner will receive the Northern Lights statuette and DKK 300,000.

The Nordic Council Literature Prize was first awarded in 1962. It goes to a literary work written in one of the Nordic languages, such as poetry, prose, or drama that meets high literary and artistic standards.

The purpose of the Nordic Council’s five prizes is to raise interest in the Nordic cultural community and Nordic co-operation on the environment, as well as to recognise outstanding artistic and environmental efforts.