Jan 1–Dec 31, 2009
International Literature Award - Haus der Kulturen der Welt 2009
The prize–winners of the International Literature Award – Haus der Kulturen der Welt 2009 are the Peruvian writer Daniel Alarcón and Friederike Meltendorf.
They are the first winners of the prize awarded by the Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, and Stiftung Elementarteilchen. Alarcón, who lives in the USA, won the 25,000 Euro prize for his debut novel “Lost City Radio” (Wagenbach Verlag). 10,000 Euros go to Friederike Meltendorf for her translation of the novel from American English.
Every year from now on, the highly endowed literature prize will be awarded to new works of contemporary international literature and their translations. The award has two aims: to draw attention to contemporary literature across the globe and to pay tribute to the mediatory role played by literary translators. The International Literature Prize aims to heighten people's awareness of outstanding and extraordinary new works of international literature
The jury members for 2009/2010 are: Christian Döring (editor and literary critic), Ottmar Ette (Chair of Romance Literature, University of Potsdam), Sigrid Löffler (literary critic), Katharina Narbutovic (Director, DAAD Berlin Artist-in-Residence program), Peter Ripken (International Center Frankfurt Book Fair), Jan Szlovák (Chairman, Stiftung Elementarteilchen) and Susanne Stemmler (Head of Literature, Haus der Kulturen der Welt).
