Luxembourg's Ministry of Culture has announced the winners of the 2021 National Literary Competition.
This year's jury, made up of Anne-Marie Antony, Claude Kremer (president), Romain Sahr, Tamara Sondag and Jeff Thill, has selected the winners of the 42nd edition of the National Literary Competition, dedicated to children's and youth literature.
The call for participation launched in November 2020 attracted 56 submissions in four different categories. The jury based its analysis of the texts submitted on literary, linguistic and originality criteria, but also on factors such as the correspondence of styles and content to the target readers.
The jury awarded first prize (€5,000) in the children's literature (for readers up to 12 years old) by adult authors category to Marc Weydert and Marie-Isabelle Callier for their work "Verdruddelt Geschichten" (crumpled stories). The jury appreciated how these stories introduced the genre of the "twisted tale" into the Luxembourg context, thus presenting well-known classic tales in a new light.
First prize in the children's literature (readers up to 12) by young authors (aged 12-19) category (€2,000) went to Lena Differding with "Wasser gegen Sturm - Die Kräfte der vier Elemente" (water against storm - the forces of the four elements). The jury believed that this text stood out for the complexity of its plot and the rich fantasy world developed.
Claudine Muno received first prize (€5,000) in the children's literature (readers aged 13+) by adult authors category with her work "Dëst ass net däi Liewen" (this is not your life). The jury saluted the sensitive way in which the author took readers into the universe of a group of teenagers, using an authentic language, in order to reflect on their relationship to society.
The jury awarded "Die Bibliothek der gescheiterten Schriftsteller" (the library of failed writers) by Eline Klaassen first prize (€2,000) in the children's literature (readers aged 13+) by young authors category. According to the jury, this text stood out for the very thoughtful construction of its plot, the subtle intuition for its narrative structure and the inventiveness of its language.
The award ceremony will take place on Wednesday 8 December 2021 at the Centre National de Littérature (CNL) in Mersch.
