New literary prize for Dutch-language authors

Next year, the literary 'Boon' prize will be up for grabs for the first time, VRT reports. The Boon is a Belgian prize that will be awarded once for the category ‘fiction and literary non-fiction' and once for the category ‘children and youth literature’ to Dutch-language authors.

Prize money for the Boon, which gets its name from the Flemish author Louis Paul Boon, is set at 50 thousand euros per category.That makes the Boon one of the most lucrative prizes Dutch-language authors can win. Only the Libris and the Boekenbon also award winners 50 thousand euros. It was a conscious decision to make the prize money for both categories equal to underline the importance of children and youth literature.

Former news anchor Martine Tanghe and AKO-literary prize winner Brigitte Raskin will be the jury presidents for the first Boon prize. “In my experience, a literary prize gives the winning author time and freedom which, to a writer, is like giving them wings”, Raskin said.

“We have a ‘boon’ for a book in which everyone matters, everyone counts and everyone belongs”. Tanghe said. The first Boon prize will be awarded on March 17, 2022, after which a new winner will be chosen each year.