Writer Dževad Karahasan awarded the prestigious Franz Nobl Prize

Prominent Bosnian-Herzegovinian writer Dževad Karahasan and president of the Writers' Association of BiH is the recipient of the Franz Nobl literary award, presented in Graz, Austria since 1974. He will be the first recipient of this award on December 18th as a writer who does not originally write in German.

The jury's explanation states that Karahasan's literary work is particularly characterized by "broadly based epic storytelling that enables a dialogue between the author and the reader."

Among the previous recipients of the Franz Nabl award are two Nobel laureates (Elias Canetti and Hertha Müller) and literary stars such as Christa Wolf, Hermann Lenz, Christoph Ransmayr, Peter Handke, Martin Walser.

Dževad Karahasan's books have been translated into fifteen languages. He has been a domestic member since 2008, and a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2012. He is a member of the German Academy for Language and Arts. 

For his brilliant works, he has received numerous awards: Veselin Masleša Award for Book of the Year (Kraljevske legende), Sarajevo 1981; Award for Yugoslav Novel of the Year (Istočni divan), Sisak 1990; Award for Literature of the Franciscan Province of Bosna Srebrena (drama "Kotač svete Katarine") on the occasion of the 700th anniversary of Franciscan activity in Bosnia; Charles Veillon Award for Essay Book of the Year in Europe (Un demenagement), Paris 1995; Bruno Kreisky Award for Political Book of the Year (Tagebuch der Aussiedlung), Vienna 1995; International Award for Intercultural Dialogue, Forlì 1997; 7th Herder Award, 1999; Leipzig Book Fair Award for European Understanding for the essay book Knjiga vrtova 2004; Vilenica, Central European Award for Literature, 2010; Heinrich Heine Award 2012; Goethe Medal 2012; Honorary Doctorate from the University of Basel 2014, and many others...