Literary award · France · since 2007

European Book Prize

Award. Established 2007 in France.

About European Book Prize

The European Book Prize (French: Le Prix du Livre Européen) is a European Union literary award established in 2007. It is organized by the association Esprit d'Europe in Paris. It seeks to promote European values, and to contribute to European citizens' better understanding of the European Union as a cultural entity. Eligible books must have been published in one of the 27 European Union (EU) member-states in the preceding year, in the original language or a translation. Works are submitted in one of two categories: essai (which in French means, something broader than the English "essay") and romans et récits ("novels and narratives"). A long list is drawn up by the organizers in Paris; the number varies but for example, in 2011, there were 50 essais plus 47 romans et recits.

From the Wikipedia article “European Book Prize”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Recent winners

YearWinnerWinning work
2025Javier Cercas—
2024Karl Schlögel—
2022Antonio Scurati—
2021Christos Chomenidis—
2020Pavol Rankov—

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

Eligibility and entering

Check the official rules of the European Book Prize 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