For Ten Years We Have Supported Belles-lettres for You

Jana Ondíková, ANASOFT litera, Lucia Turiničová, ANASOFT

It’s unbelievable, but 10 years have passed since the first ANASOFT litera award was handed out. We were there at its birth in 2006, and at that time no one would have thought that we would stay for so long and that this award would become one of the most significant literary awards in Slovakia and respected even in the Czech Republic. For 10 years, we have celebrated together with the ten finalists selected by the jury from among a growing number of books. For ten years, we have been among the first to congratulate the winner of the main prize of 10,000 €. 

The time has come to take stock.

JURY

The five-member jury, which changes every year in order to ensure objectivity, faces a difficult task.  They must read all of the prose titles published in the previous year. The first list in 2006 consisted of 63 books; this year it reached 189, exactly three times the first number.  In total, the juries have evaluated 1,233 books.

Can you imagine reading so many books?

FINALISTS

The announcement of the ten finalists preceded the announcement of the winners in September. To date, a total of 59 writers (39 men and 20 women) have reached the finals. 

The top writers are:

• Pavel Vilikovský – 6 books
• Márius Kopcsay – 5 books
• Jana Juráňová – 4 books

The publicity related to the award nominations is of great significance and not only in terms of the influence on sales.  The fact that a total of 16 prose debuts have been nominated as finalists is also pleasing. Thanks to this recognition, many were reprinted and their authors received deserved attention.     

ANASOFT LITERA ACCOMPANYING PROGRAMS

For 10 years, the ANASOFT litera fest has followed the announcement of the ten finalists. This is a week filled with interesting theater, music, film, visual art and naturally literature during which spectators can meet the nominated writers and listen to readings of their works.  The festival also features discussions, workshops and readings in unusual places.  

ŽIVÝ BIČ (THE LIVING WHIP)

Thanks to the Živý bič (The Living Whip) project, for the past four years, students have had the chance to become familiar with quality Slovak books and to meet writers in person. From October to December, writers visit libraries, secondary schools and universities in over 20 towns and cities.  

They talk to students and the general public about their work and the works of other writers, but not only Slovaks. They also explain post-Modernism, Magical Realism, comic books, fantasy… and what makes quality literature or how it feels to be a writer. Living literature always trumps school anthologies!

ANASOFT LITERA MAIN AWARD

Anasoft litera, the most appreciated and prestigious Slovak literary award, not only because of the 10,000 € prize, is presented to the author of the best novel published in the previous year.

The following 9 writers have won the ANASOFT litera award: Marek Vadas, Milan Zelinka, Alta Vášová, Stanislav Rakús, Monika Kompaníková, Balla, Víťo Staviarsky, Veronika Šikulová and Pavel Vilikovský (two times).

The recipients of the Readers Prize, which has also been awarded from the very beginning have been Jaroslava Blažková, Dušan Dušek, Viliam Klimáček, Pavol Rankov, Veronika Šikulová (two times), Pavel Vilikovský, Lucia Piussi, Tomáš Varga and Peter Balko.

PRESIDENT ANDREJ KISKA AT 2015 ANASOFT LITERA

We were extremely pleased that Andrej Kiska, President of the Slovak Republic, accepted our invitation to attend the awards ceremony. In his speech, he confessed that there was a time when he too wanted to become a writer of lyrical prose.

Watch this great videoand find out more about the awards ceremony, why it was established and why it was so exceptional.  It even includes President Kiska’s entire speech.

More on ANASOFT litera:

The Anasoft litera literary award has been organized by the ars_litera NGO since 2006. ANASOFT is the general partner. In addition to the literary prize project, the association organizes the Anasoft litera festival and cooperates with regional libraries and institutions in organizing readings. Regular supporters of this award include the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic, the Municipality of Bratislava, the Capital of the SR, the Bratislava Self-Governing Region, the Association of Slovak Publishers and Booksellers,  the Audio-Visual Fund, the Literary Information Center, RTVS (Slovak Radio and Television), Rádio Devín and Rádio_FM, SME newspaper, týždeň magazine, and teh Artforum, Panta Rhei and Martinus bookstores.

You can find more at: www.anasoftlitera.com.