The European Union Prize for Literature jury has awarded Sheila Armstrong a Special Mention for her debut novel Falling Animals. This recognition includes €5,000, extensive opportunities to travel to promote the book at European book fairs and literary festivals and significant support for future translations of Falling Animals. 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.
Sheila Armstrong's publisher, Paul Baggaley, Editor-in-Chief at Bloomsbury Books and Sinéad Mac Aodha, Director of Literature Ireland (the literature organisation which nominated the book for the award), pitched Falling Animals in Prague to a seven member literary expert jury. The award ceremony took place at the Prague book fair (Book World Prague) on Friday 16 May.
Sinéad Mac Aodha, Director of Literature Ireland, said “Sheila’s sensitive and lyrical, polyphonic novel is both an exploration of loss and loneliness and a celebration of the very necessary ties of community. The book is rooted in the wild north western Atlantic seaboard and its evocation of Sheila's homeplace is beautifully achieved. We are so grateful that this jury could appreciate both the cultural specificities of the work and its wider European literary resonances. We look forward to seeing Sheila Armstrong's work grow even further in confidence and ambition as a result of this recognition and the many translation opportunities it will afford her”.
Paul Baggaley, Editor-in-Chief of Bloomsbury Books, said “Publishing Falling Animals has been a real highlight of my publishing career, but this is still just the beginning in the recognition of Sheila’s unique talent for addressing universal themes with her exquisite literary sensibility. I am convinced this prize will bring many international publishing partners and will help Sheila’s writing reach readers worldwide, and it couldn’t be more deserved.”
Glenn Micallef, Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, said: “My wholehearted congratulations to this year’s laureates of the European Union Prize for Literature. They are flag bearers of our European talents, diversity and values, and I am glad that, through this Prize, we are helping these stories find new echoes in minds and imaginations across borders. I am proud to support initiatives that champion literary excellence and amplify emerging voices across the continent.”
Thirteen countries were in contention this year with the outright winner, Italian writer Nicoletta Verna, receiving €10,000 as well as promotional and translation support for her book, I giorni di Vetro (Days of Glass), published by Einaudi. Belgian writer, Philippe Marczewski, also received a Special Mention for his novel, Quand Cécile (When Cécile), published by Éditions du Seuil.
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The European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL) recognises emerging fiction writers from the European Union and beyond. The EUPL is organised by a Consortium of associations made up of the Federation of European Publishers (FEP) and the European and International Booksellers Federation (EIBF), with the support of the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.
Posted to News on 20 May 2025.