# Nordic Council Literature Prize

The Nordic Council Literature Prize is awarded for a work of literature written in one of the languages of the Nordic countries, that meets "high literary and artistic standards". Established in 1962, the prize is awarded every year, and is worth 350,000 Danish kroner (2008). Eligible works are typically novels, plays, collections of poetry, short stories or essays, or other works that were published for the first time during the last four years, or in the case of works written in Danish, Norwegian, or Swedish, within the last two years. The prize is one of the most prestigious awards that Nordic authors can win.
The winner is chosen by an adjudication committee appointed by the Nordic Council. The committee consists of ten members, two each from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The committee members are generally experts in their own country's literature, as well as their neighbouring countries. In addition to the regular members, additional members may be added to the committee if works are nominated from Åland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland or the Sami language area. Apart from the monetary award, the intent of the prize is also to "increase interest in the literature of neighbouring countries as well in Nordic cultural fellowship".

## Committee members as of 2019

As of 2019 the jury consists of the following proper elected members
* Sunna Dís Másdóttir, chair (Iceland)
* Ane Farsethås, vice chair (Norway)
* Amanda Svensson (Sweden)
* Elisabeth Friis (Denmark)
* Henrika Ringbom (Finland)
* Kristiina Lähde (Finland)
* Kristján Jóhann Jónsson (Iceland)
* Lise Vandborg (Denmark)
* Rune Christiansen (Norway)
* Sara Abdollahi (Sweden)
Additionally the jury includes deputy members, appointed members and ex officio members.

## List of winners

The following is a complete list of recipients of the Nordic Council Literature Prize:
| Year | English title | Original title | Author | Country | Original Language |
| 1962 | The Days of His Grace | Hans nådes tid | Eyvind Johnson | Sweden | Swedish |
| 1963 | Under the North Star 3: Reconciliation | Täällä Pohjantähden alla 3 | Väinö Linna | Finland | Finnish |
| 1964 | The Ice Palace | Is-slottet | Tarjei Vesaas | Norway | Norwegian |
| 1965 | From Hell to Paradise | Från Helvetet till Paradiset | Olof Lagercrantz | Sweden | Swedish |
| 1965 | The Good Hope | Det gode Håb | William Heinesen | Faroe Islands | Danish |
| 1966 | Diwan on the Prince of Emgion | Dīwān över Fursten av Emgión | Gunnar Ekelöf | Sweden | Swedish |
| 1967 | Nye noveller | Nye noveller | Johan Borgen | Norway | Norwegian |
| 1968 | Flight of the Eagle | Ingenjör Andrées luftfärd | Per Olof Sundman | Sweden | Swedish |
| 1969 | The Legionnaires | Legionärerna | Per Olov Enquist | Sweden | Swedish |
| 1970 | Anna, I, Anna | Anna, jeg, Anna | Klaus Rifbjerg | Denmark | Danish |
| 1971 | Coast of Slaves, Ships of Slaves and Islands of Slaves | Slavernes kyst, Slavernes skibe and Slavernes øer | Thorkild Hansen | Denmark | Danish |
| 1972 | Sju ord på tunnelbanan | Sju ord på tunnelbanan | Karl Vennberg | Sweden | Swedish |
| 1973 | Kersantin poika | Kersantin poika | Veijo Meri | Finland | Finnish |
| 1974 | Uden mål – og med | Uden mål – og med | Villy Sørensen | Denmark | Danish |
| 1975 | Siinä näkijä missä tekijä | Siinä näkijä missä tekijä | Hannu Salama | Finland | Finnish |
| 1976 | Að laufferjum and Að brunnum | Að laufferjum and Að brunnum | Ólafur Jóhann Sigurðsson | Iceland | Icelandic |
| 1977 | I de mörka rummen, i de ljusa | I de mörka rummen, i de ljusa | Bo Carpelan | Finland | Swedish |
| 1978 | Dalen Portland | Dalen Portland | Kjartan Fløgstad | Norway | Norwegian |
| 1979 | Pubertet | Pubertet | Ivar Lo-Johansson | Sweden | Swedish |
| 1980 | Vredens barn | Vredens barn | Sara Lidman | Sweden | Swedish |
| 1981 | Hauströkkrið yfir mér | Hauströkkrið yfir mér | Snorri Hjartarson | Iceland | Icelandic |
| 1982 | Samuels bok | Samuels bok | Sven Delblanc | Sweden | Swedish |
| 1983 | Om fjorten dage | Om fjorten dage | Peter Seeberg | Denmark | Danish |
| 1984 | The Christmas Oratorio | Juloratoriet | Göran Tunström | Sweden | Swedish |
| 1985 | A Day in Ostrobothnia | Pohjanmaa | Antti Tuuri | Finland | Finnish |
| 1986 | Líkasum | Líkasum | Rói Patursson | Faroe Islands | Faroese |
| 1987 | Hudløs himmel | Hudløs himmel | Herbjørg Wassmo | Norway | Norwegian |
| 1988 | Justice Undone | Grámosinn glóir | Thor Vilhjálmsson | Iceland | Icelandic |
| 1989 | Roman 1987 | Roman 1987 | Dag Solstad | Norway | Norwegian |
| 1990 | For the Living and the Dead | För levande och döda | Tomas Tranströmer | Sweden | Swedish |
| 1991 | The Sun, My Father | Beaivi, áhčážan | Nils-Aslak Valkeapää | Sápmi / Finland | Northern Sámi |
| 1992 | Night Watch | Meðan nóttin líður | Fríða Á. Sigurðardóttir | Iceland | Icelandic |
| 1993 | Byen og verden | Byen og verden | Peer Hultberg | Denmark | Danish |
| 1994 | Blackwater | Händelser vid vatten | Kerstin Ekman | Sweden | Swedish |
| 1995 | Angels of the Universe | Englar alheimsins | Einar Már Guðmundsson | Iceland | Icelandic |
| 1996 | Hva skal vi gjøre i dag og andre noveller | Hva skal vi gjøre i dag og andre noveller | Øystein Lønn | Norway | Norwegian |
| 1997 | Bang. En roman om Herman Bang | Bang. En roman om Herman Bang | Dorrit Willumsen | Denmark | Danish |
| 1998 | After Having Spent a Night Among Horses | Efter att ha tillbringat en natt bland hästar | Tua Forsström | Finland | Swedish |
| 1999 | Queen's Gate | Dronningeporten | Pia Tafdrup | Denmark | Danish |
| 2000 | Drømmebroer | Drømmebroer | Henrik Nordbrandt | Denmark | Danish |
| 2001 | The Discoverer | Oppdageren | Jan Kjærstad | Norway | Norwegian |
| 2002 | The Half Brother | Halvbroren | Lars Saabye Christensen | Norway | Norwegian |
| 2003 | Revbensstäderna | Revbensstäderna | Eva Ström | Sweden | Swedish |
| 2004 | Juoksuhaudantie | Juoksuhaudantie | Kari Hotakainen | Finland | Finnish |
| 2005 | The Blue Fox | Skugga-Baldur | Sjón | Iceland | Icelandic |
| 2006 | The Ocean | Oceanen | Göran Sonnevi | Sweden | Swedish |
| 2007 | Drömfakulteten | Drömfakulteten | Sara Stridsberg | Sweden | Swedish |
| 2008 | Baboon | Bavian | Naja Marie Aidt | Denmark | Danish |
| 2009 | I Curse the River of Time | Jeg forbanner tidens elv | Per Petterson | Norway | Norwegian |
| 2010 | Purge | Puhdistus | Sofi Oksanen | Finland | Finnish |
| 2011 | Between the Trees | Milli trjánna | Gyrðir Elíasson | Iceland | Icelandic |
| 2012 | Days in the History of Silence | Dager i stillhetens historie | Merethe Lindstrøm | Norway | Norwegian |
| 2013 | The Prophets of Eternal Fjord | Profeterne fra Evighedsfjorden | Kim Leine | Denmark | Danish |
| 2014 | Mirage 38 | Hägring 38 | Kjell Westö | Finland | Swedish |
| 2015 | Andvake, Olavs draumar and Kveldsvævd | Andvake, Olavs draumar and Kveldsvævd | Jon Fosse | Norway | Norwegian |
| 2016 | Songs and Formulae | Sånger och formler | Katarina Frostenson | Sweden | Swedish |
| 2017 | Memories of Love | Erindring om kærligheden | Kirsten Thorup | Denmark | Danish |
| 2018 | Hotel Silence | Ör | Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir | Iceland | Icelandic |
| 2019 | After the Sun | Efter Solen | Jonas Eika | Denmark | Danish |
| 2020 | Who killed Bambi? | Vem dödade bambi? | Monika Fagerholm | Finland | Swedish |
| 2021 | Flower Valley | Naasuliardarpi | Niviaq Korneliussen | Greenland | Greenlandic |
| 2022 | On the Calculation of Volume I, II and III | Om udregning af rumfang I, II and III | Solvej Balle | Denmark | Danish |
| 2023 | Remember Us to Life | Ihågkom oss till liv | Joanna Rubin Dranger | Sweden | Swedish |