Jerusalem Prize goes to Antonio Munoz Molina

Spanish author Antonio Muñoz Molina will receive the Jerusalem Prize at the 2013 Jerusalem International Book Fair, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

The Jerusalem Prize is awarded to writers whose work best expresses and promotes the idea of the “freedom of the individual in society.” Five authors who have won the prize subsequently received the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Molina’s books emphasize a strong bond to international culture, literature and history, with some of his work reflecting the far-reaching changes that have taken place in Spain as it transitioned from dictatorship to democracy, exposing traumatic collective memories.

Explaining its decision, the judging panel noted the author’s extensive body of writing, spanning diverse literary genres and subjects, which has won him widespread praise and prominent literary awards.

“There can be no better prize for a writer than one awarded by an international book fair.

It is overwhelming to scroll down the list of the former honorees and see my name on it. I have never seen myself in such distinguished literary company,” said Molina.

The fair, a biennial event that attracts dozens of Israeli and international authors as well as hundreds of publishers, will be held February 10- 15 at the Jerusalem International Convention Center (Binyanei Ha’uma).

All of the Book Fair’s programs are open to the public and free of charge. A perennial favorite event is the Literary Café, which offers open and engaging dialogue between Israeli and international writers in a setting designed as a coffee shop. The Book Fair hosts numerous international seminars and symposia exploring a wide range of subjects, including literary criticism and blogging, selling books in a digital age, translation and others. Furthermore, this year’s fair showcases art books, historic scrolls and archival posters.