The jurors of the fourteenth European Book Prize awarded the Slovak author Pavol Rankov for his novel
It happened on a September 1st
, published in March 2019 by Gaïa editions.
The 13 European journalists who are members of the jury, which was chaired this year by actress Carole Bouquet, hailed “
an excellent contribution to the work of memory and the examination of conscience not only of the populations of the former Soviet bloc, but of all of Europe
”.
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L'Anomalie
It happened on September 1
, translated from Slovak by Michel Chasteau tells the story of three friends, Peter, Jan and Gabriel, respectively Hungarian, Slovak and Jewish, who meet on September 1, 1938 at the swimming pool in Levice, Slovakia , to win the heart of beautiful Maria.
We follow their fate until the Prague Spring in 1968. Pavol Rankov, novelist, essayist and journalist, received several literary prizes.
He will receive his prize, endowed with 10,000 euros, at a ceremony organized in Brussels next February.
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The jury also wished to award a special mention to the Bulgarian author Kapka Kassabova for
Lisière
(translated from English by Morgane Saysana), the story of a return to the country via its border with Turkey, published last February by editions Marchialy.
The book has already been rewarded this year with the Nicolas Bouvier prize of the Étonnants Voyageurs festival.