HFBC is the nominating organisation at the European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL)

The European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL), supported by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, is an annual initiative to recognise the best emerging fiction writers in Europe.

The Prize aims to put the spotlight on the creativity and diverse wealth of Europe’s contemporary literature in the field of fiction, to promote the circulation of literature within Europe and to encourage greater interest in non-national literary works.

The Hellenic Foundation for Books and Culture (HFBC) as nominating organisation of the Greek nomination to the EUPL, in collaboration with the independent Judging Committee for the State Literature Awards of the Ministry of Culture, has nominated the book Deepfake by Makis Malafekas (Antipodes Publications).

The pitching of this year’s thirteen nominations (Austria, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Ukraine) took place during the Prague International Book Fair (World Book Prague, May 15-18 2025). The pitching for the Greek nomination was realized by Kassiani Benou, Communication Manager of HFBC, and Kostas Spatharakis, Publisher of the book.

On Friday May 16, the award ceremony for the Prize and the two mentions took place, with the Italian Nicolleta Verna with her book I Giorni di Vetro (The Days of Glass) winning the prize (LAUREATE), Sheila Armstrong from Ireland with Falling Animals and Philippe Marczewski from Belgium with Quand Cécile (When Cécile), winning the two special mentions.

The works of the selected winners are promoted in the hopes to reach a wider and international audience, and to touch readers beyond national and linguistic borders.