Georgi Gospodinov wins Jean Monnet Prize for European Literature

Bulgarian author Georgi Gospodinov has won the 2026 Jean Monnet Prize for European Literature for his novel ‘The Gardener and Death’. The award recognizes the French edition of the book, translated by Marie Vrina and published by Gallimard.

Jury president Gérard de Cortanz described the novel as a ‘book of light against the black hole of death’. Gospodinov, who previously became the first Bulgarian writer to win the International Booker Prize in 2023, noted the significance of the award bearing the name of Jean Monnet, one of the founding fathers of modern Europe.

The Jean Monnet Prize, established in 1995, is awarded annually to a European author for a work written or translated into French. The 32nd edition includes a 5,000 euro prize. The official ceremony is scheduled for November 21 in Cognac during the 39th European Literature Festival.