Literary award · Denmark · since 1949

De Gyldne Laurbær

Award. Established 1949 in Denmark.

About De Gyldne Laurbær

De Gyldne Laurbær (English: The Golden Laurel) (earlier: Boghandlernes Gyldne Laurbær) is a Danish literature award, which was established in 1949. The award is handed by The Committee De Gyldne Laurbær, formerly Boghandlerklubben (The Bookshops' Club). The prize is given annually in February or March. Originally the award was a laurel wreath, a golden pin with an inscription, some money and a book gift worth 2500 DKK. Today the award is a laurel wreathe, a diploma and a book gift worth 2500 DKK. The award is handed at a ceremony arranged by the publishing house which has published the winning book and by the Committee De Gyldne Laurbær. Early in January every year the committee sends out ballot to all the Danish bookshops, which then give their vote for a Danish book which was published the year before.

From the Wikipedia article “De Gyldne Laurbær”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Recent winners

YearWinnerWinning work
2024Benjamin Koppel—
2021Thomas Korsgaard—
2020Stine Pilgaard—
2019Sara Omar—
2018Leonora Christina Skov—
2017Jesper Wung-Sung—
2016Merete Pryds Helle—
2015Jesper Stein Larsen—
2013Anne-Cathrine Riebnitzsky—
2012Kim LeineThe Prophets of Eternal Fjord
2011Helle Helle—
2010Jussi Adler-OlsenThe Purity of Vengeance
2010Ida Jessen—

From Wikidata; the list may be incomplete for some years.

Eligibility and entering

Check the official rules of the De Gyldne Laurbær for the current eligibility window, accepted formats, residency or language requirements and any entry fee. For most established prizes the publisher submits on the author's behalf, often with a limit on entries per imprint.

If you are self-published, look for an explicit statement that independently published books are accepted, and budget for entry fees and copies for judges.

Sources & data