Prizes

The Dutch language area has dozens of literary prizes, which in general are open to Dutch and Flemish writers. The most coveted of these – because they are the most profitable in commercial terms – are the AKO Literatuurprijs, the Libris Literatuur Prijs and the Gouden Uil. The P.C. Hooft-prijs is the most prestigious oeuvre award. To date the ultimate prize, the Nobel Prize for Literature, has never been awarded to an author writing in Dutch. But as Harry Mulisch, who has regularly been tipped as candidate for the Nobel Prize, once said: ‘the list of writers who have been awarded the prize is great; but the list of writers who have never been awarded the prize is even greater’.