Literary award · Brazil · since 2008

Prêmio São Paulo de Literatura

The São Paulo Prize for Literature (Portuguese: Prêmio São Paulo de Literatura) is a Brazilian literary prize for novels written in the Portuguese language and published in Brazil.

About Prêmio São Paulo de Literatura

The São Paulo Prize for Literature (Portuguese: Prêmio São Paulo de Literatura) is a Brazilian literary prize for novels written in the Portuguese language and published in Brazil. It was established in 2008 by the Secretary of Culture for the State of São Paulo. Though not as old as other literary prizes in Brazil, such as the Machado de Assis Prize, the São Paulo Prize has quickly risen in prestige. For example, in 2011, there were 221 submissions for the prize. This rapid rise in popularity is partly because of the large cash prize. Every year two prizes of R$200,000 each are awarded—one for the best novel of the year by an established author, and the other for the best novel of the year by a debut author—making the São Paulo Prize the largest prize for a published work in Brazil, and one of the largest literary prizes in the world.

From the Wikipedia article “São Paulo Prize for Literature”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Recent winners

YearWinnerWinning work
2025Mariana Salomão Carrara—
2023Mariana Salomão Carrara—
2021Morgana Kretzmann—
2019Ana Paula Maia—
2018Ana Paula Maia—
2010Chico Buarque—
—Cristovão Tezza—
—Cris Judar—

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

Eligibility and entering

Check the official rules of the Prêmio São Paulo de Literatura 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