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Amid Belarusian repression, Giedroyć top prizes go to anonymous writers
November 8, Pozirk. This year’s Jerzy Giedroyć Belarusian Literary Awards went to two anonymous writers and one author publishing under his own name, as the Belarusian government continues its crackdown on dissent, including targeting advocates of the Belarusian language. The awards ceremony took place in Gdańsk, Poland, on November 7.
The first prize went to the author writing under the pseudonym Alaksandar Kaśćiukovič for the book codenamed Лірнік, published anonymously.
The second prize went to the author writing under the pseudonym Siarhiej Dubaŭcevič for the book Цесля жыцця. The prize includes a stipend for a one-month stay at the Writers’ House on the Swedish island of Gotland.
The third prize went to Arciom Šukanaŭ for Пентаквантар, a post-cyberpunk novel. He will receive funding to publish his next book.
The shortlist also included Халодныя землі (Cold Land) by Alaksandar Karnaŭch, Радзіна by Zbych Słupoŭski and Боў и мерць у Хротне by Dzianis Trusaŭ.
Established in December 2011 by Belarusian PEN, the Union of Belarusian Writers, the Polish Institute in Minsk and the Polish Embassy in Belarus, the Jerzy Giedroyc Literary Awards are the country’s largest independent literary prize. They recognize books of prose written in Belarusian.
The government’s crackdown on dissent, which has continued since the disputed 2020 presidential election, has forced the award organizers, along with many publishers and writers, into exile.
This year’s ceremony was hosted by the European Solidarity Centre and co-organized by Belarusian PEN and the International Union of Belarusian Writers.
At least 115 cultural figures, including writers, are imprisoned in Belarus, said at the ceremony Taćciana Niadbaj, chairwoman of Belarusian PEN.
“In an ordinary country and an ordinary situation, writing, publishing and distributing a book are routine parts of a routine literary process. In our country, each of these phases – writing, publishing and distributing – is a heroic deed,” she said.
