The prize is SEK 500,000 and is awarded to a translator of Norwegian literature into other languages.
Hinrich Schmidt-Henkel is described as a veritable "door opener" for Norwegian literature. He has translated around 120 titles by a range of Norwegian authors, including Jon Fosse, who describes the choice as "self-evident".
The Jon Fosse Prize was established by the Norwegian government after Fosse received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2023. At the same time, the annual Fosse lecture was established, to be held to emphasize the importance of Jon Fosse's authorship internationally. The first Fosse lecturer will be the French philosopher and theologian Jean-Luc Marion, professor emeritus at the Sorbonne and the University of Chicago, and former student of philosopher Jacques Derrida.
The lecturer and prize winner are selected in collaboration with the Norwegian National Library and Norla, Norwegian Literature Abroad.
