The prestigious Halldór Laxness International Literary Prize 2024 is awarded to the author Salman Rushdie. The award ceremony, held on September 13th in Reykjavík, marks the fourth time this highly regarded prize has been bestowed, celebrating Salman Rushdie’s exceptional contributions to world literature.
Since its inception, the Halldór Laxness International Literary Prize has honored some of the world’s most illustrious writers, that is Ian McEwan (2019), Elif Shafak (2021), and Andrey Kurkov (2022). This year, the prize committee, consisting of Andrey Kurkov, literary critic Egill Helgason, and Stella Soffía Jóhannesdóttir, Director of the Reykjavík International Literary Festival, reached a unanimous decision in favor of Salman Rushdie
The Halldór Laxness International Literary Prize was established to perpetuate the legacy of Halldór Laxness, Iceland’s Nobel Laureate in Literature, and to ensure that his name and influence continue to resonate both within Iceland and across the globe. Valued at 15,000 euros, the prize is awarded biannually to a celebrated writer who, through their works, has renewed the narrative art—echoing the very grounds on which Laxness himself was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1955.
The Halldór Laxness International Literary Prize is generously supported by The Prime Minister’s Office, The Ministry for Education, Science and Culture, Business Iceland, the Reykjavík International Literary Festival, Gljúfrasteinn – the Laxness Museum, and Forlagið, Laxness’s Icelandic publisher. The University of Iceland is a partner in the Halldór Laxness International Literary Prize 2024.
In the selection committee’s verdict, written by Andrey Kurkov, it says:
The name of Salman Rushdie is inseparable from his epic novels, saturated with exquisite and magical details, and from his struggle for freedom of creativity, freedom of thought, and the right to remain true to himself.
For readers all over the world, the image of Rushdie — who, for more than thirty years, has continued to create enchanting novels under the terrible pressure of a threat to his life — has become a symbol of courage and unbroken will.
The novels he has produced during this time are fascinating, philosophical, and enlightening tales for readers ready to discover new worlds.
With his complex national and geo-cultural identity, Rushdie has become a guide and translator of new, sometimes exotic meanings for readers — a writer-artist who imparts new colors and new semantic shades to seemingly familiar words. His stories are beautiful and intricate, yet always easy to follow, like the richest Persian carpets.
In the vast tapestry of Rushdie’s work, which continues to delight readers around the world, The Knife, an essay written as a blow in response to the attempt to silence him, stands out. It enriches this pattern with political and philosophical wisdom that is razor-sharp in its contemporary significance.
Stella Soffía Jóhannesdóttir, Director of the Reykjavík International Literary Festival and chairman of the selection committee remarked, “Salman Rushdie’s work embodies the spirit of literary innovation and cultural dialogue that the Halldór Laxness Prize seeks to honor. His stories resonate across borders, reminding us of the universal power of literature.”
Salman Rushdie himself reflected on the honor: “I am honored to receive the Halldór Laxness Literary Prize. I know Halldór Laxness was a prodigious writer and have been checking out some of his work and learning, too, about his extraordinary life.”
The Halldór Laxness International Literary Prize will continue to recognize those writers whose works, like Laxness’s, transform our understanding of the world and our place within it.
Streaming from the event: https://vimeo.com/event/4567405/embed/02002194f2
