Prestigious Literary Awards
Writing isn’t just an art but a gateway to somebody’s imagination, ideas, and their curated world, which could either be an escape or a mirror of society’s cruelty. It’s how brutally an author is honest and pens human emotions or how beautifully they carve a story that inspires millions to understand and change for the better. But beyond writing, readership, and reviews are the prestigious literary awards, which honour the authors who deserve the spotlight, shaping the legacy of literature.
Doesn’t matter if an author wins these prestigious literary awards or not; being nominated is enough to change their career, enhance their readership reach, and provide their books with the deserved place in the global literary conversation. Scroll down to learn more about the top 10 prestigious literary awards that celebrate great writing.
Top 10 Prestigious Literary Awards
The top 10 prestigious literary awards recognize outstanding authors and books that have shaped the world of literature.
The Nobel Prize in Literature
Alfred Bernhard Nobel was a Swedish businessman, chemist, engineer, and inventor, widely known for inventing dynamite and the most prestigious literary award: The Nobel Prize in Literature. He spent his entire life contributing to the betterment of society, and guess what? Even his last wish was to honour people with the same vision. He clearly stated in his will that his fortune was to be utilised to curate a fund that would assist the Swedish Academy in annually awarding individuals whose work brings inspiring changes in society.
The best part about this award is that it’s not limited to any specific genre, language, or region. If an author has spent their life contributing to the field of literature, then they may be nominated or rewarded with the Nobel Prize in Literature.
The Pulitzer Prize
Although Joseph Pulitzer isn’t recognised as the ‘Father of Journalism,’ his contributions have evolved the journalism industry. He is widely known for leaving his wealth to Columbia University to establish the prestigious literary award, the Pulitzer Prize, to enhance people’s interest in journalism, as well as promoting the works of the authors who have written about America, their lives, supporting journalism and the arts.
The Pen/Faulkner Award for Fiction
Imagine writing your heart out and giving your wandering thoughts a place which demands not just time and effort, but also contains your soul, and being judged by some publishers who have very little knowledge about writing a verse when it comes to winning a prestigious award. It’s frustrating, right? Mary Lee Settle encountered a similar situation during her judging process in 1979 for the National Book Award. That’s when she invented the prestigious literary award, the Pen/Faulkner Award for Fiction in 1980. The idea behind this was to let writers honour other writers on literary merit rather than commercial appeal.
The Booker Prize
Today, people are becoming more drawn to the digital world than embracing the beauty of reading stories. Perhaps Jock Campbell, Charles Tyrrell, and Tom Machler were aware of the future; thus, they invented the Booker Prize in 1969 to encourage emerging and published authors. This award is named after Booker Group Limited, a wholesale British food distribution company, which sponsored it.
The National Book Award (USA)
The American Booksellers Association came up with a prestigious literary award known as The National Book Award (USA), mainly to ignite the flame of writing and promote the American literary culture among amateur and experienced writers in 1936. Sadly, it was discontinued during World War 2; however, resumed in 1950 by the American Book Publishers Council, the Book Manufacturers’ Institute, and the American Booksellers Association.
The Newstadt International Prize for Literature
The Newstadt International Prize for Literature isn’t just a prestigious literary award, but beyond that. It’s an award that solely celebrates literature and the works of an author, whether amateur or experienced. Ivar Ivask, an editor of the University of Oklahoma’s journal Books Abroad, established this award in 1969 to give equal recognition to all genres, languages, focus solely on literary merit, and fill the shortcomings of the Nobel Prize in Literature.
The Women’s Prize for Fiction
From voting rights to receiving prestigious literary prizes, women have always lost opportunities due to gender bias in society. When Kate Mosse noticed that women were constantly excluded from the Booker Prize Shortlist despite bringing impeccable literary work to the table, she invented the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 1996.
Before becoming independent, the Women’s Prize for Fiction was initially sponsored by the Orange Group and then by the Baileys.
The Hugo Award
Science fiction has always been fascinating, and receiving a prestigious literary award for your books in the same field demands determination, creativity, and a mind that thinks about things beyond this world. The term science fiction was initially coined by Hugo Gernsback after he worked on the impeccable science fiction magazine called ‘Amazing Stories.’ So, when Hal Lynch, a member of the Worldcon, suggested that there should be an award that honours scientific books, his friend Bob Madle proposed that they should name it after Luxembourg-American publisher, editor, and entrepreneur Hugo Gernsback.
This award covers varieties like best novel, novella, short stories, graphic stories, and more.
The Goncourt Prize
It takes years for a writer to deliver thoughtful and impeccable stories, and once a writer reaches that level, they again require years to reach a certain level and gain recognition. Attaining appreciation doesn’t literary mean receiving monetary benefits for your work. Sounds stressful, right? Apparently, being a writer isn’t as easy and fascinating as it sounds. And for this sole purpose, Edmond de Goncourt, a French author, critic, and publisher, wrote in his will that upon his death, his estate would be used as the foundation of the Goncourt Prize or the Prix Goncourt to honour the most imaginative prose of the year.
This prestigious award celebrates amateur writers and encourages them to excel in their literary journey. The Académie Goncourt, which is a literary society of ten members, annually awards individuals in November. The prize is a monetary reward that encourages authors to work on their second book.
The Jnanipath Award
Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain, an industrialist and former chairman of the Times Group, longed to enhance the visibility of Indian literature and present it before the world. Therefore, he established Bhartiya Jnanpith in 1944, a research and cultural organisation to honour Indian literature. The award contains a citation, cash prizes, and a bronze replica of the Hindu Goddess Saraswati.
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On a Parting Note
From the Nobel Prize in Literature to the Jnanpith Award, all of them carry an undying history and love for literature. All of them aim at offering authors the recognition they deserve and bridge a gap between varied cultures, languages, and experiences. Literature, after all, isn’t just there for entertainment, but it’s a medium to preserve culture, voices, and impeccable stories of authors. And the ones who receive these prestigious literary awards don’t just set examples for upcoming authors but leave a legacy behind.
