Mariusz Szczygieł has been awarded Nike Literary Award for his book "Nie ma" (which means "Not There" or "Is Not" in English). An existential reportage - that's how the head of the jury, Marek Zaleski, called Szczygieł's book in his laudatory speech at the Sunday's gala in the Warsaw University Library.
"Nie ma" is a collection of real-life stories about people who had to face various kinds of emptiness in their lives. The book allows readers to take a look at an Albanian painter, Polish twin sisters, a Ukrainian soldier, a Czech poet and an Israeli writer. This is yet another publication by the renowned journalist and columnist, laureate of the European Book Prize in 2009, author of, among others, "Gottland" and "Project: Truth".
Other authors who had qualified for the Nike final seven included: Małgorzata Rejmer, Aleksander Kaczorowski, Marcin Kołodziejczyk, Zyta Rudzka, Juliusz Strachota and Szczepan Twardoch.
One of the most prestigious literary awards in Poland, Nike, was established in 1997. The prize has been given out to authors of various genres. It's aim is to promote Polish literature. The laureates receive 100.000 zlotys and a statuette. The award is funded by "Gazeta Wyborcza" and Agora Foundation.
Among past laureates there are: Wiesław Myśliwski, Czesław Miłosz, Dorota Masłowska, Olga Tokarczuk, Jarosław Marek Rymkiewicz, Jerzy Pilch and last year's winner, Marcin Wicha, for his "The things I did not throw away".
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP