Forty-two books nominated for Jerzy Giedroyc Award

Forty-two of the 63 submitted books have been nominated for this year’s Jerzy Giedroyc Award, which commemorates the prominent Minsk-born Polish journalist.

The contestants include both professional writers, such as Lyudmila Rublewskaya and Alherd Bakharevich, and prominent public figures, such as opposition politician Paval Sevyarynets and human rights defender Ales Byalyatski.

The contest’s jury comprises philosophers Uladzimir Arlow and Ihar Babkow, translators Malgorzata Buchalik and Hanna Yankuta, literary critics Hanna Kislitsyna and Tsikhan Charnyakevich, and writers Adam Hlobus and Andrey Fedarenka. They are to shorten the list of entries down to 12 by April 1.

The top prize will come with a paycheck from Polish-owned Idea Bank. The winner of the second place will be offered a choice between having his book translated into Polish and obtaining a scholarship from the Baltic Center for Writers and Translators in Sweden`s Visby. The third-place winner will be able to visit Latvia`s Ventspils as an opportunity for professional growth.

The Jerzy Giedroyc Award was instituted in 2011 by the Polish embassy in Minsk together with the Polish Institute in Minsk, PEN Belarus and the Union of Belarusian Writers to commemorate the prominent Minsk-born Polish journalist (1906-2000).

In 2012, the highest award went to writer Pavel Kastsyukevich for his collection of Belarusian-language short stories titled The Belarusian National Team in Minor Sports. Writer and politician Uladzimir Nyaklyayew was the winner in 2013 for a novel titled Soda Fountains With and Without Syrup. Last year’s award was granted to Mr. Babkow for a novel called Minute: Three Stories.