Lidia Jorge awarded Austrian State Prize for European Literature

Portuguese novelist Lidia Jorge, 80, received the Austrian State Prize for European Literature during a ceremony at the Salzburg Festival. The award, announced by the Austrian government in June, was presented by Culture Minister Andreas Babler, who praised her as one of the leading contemporary European writers.

The jury – Cristina Beretta, Thomas Keul, Thomas Macho, Marlene Streeruwitz and Andrea Zederbauer – highlighted Jorge’s recurring themes of colonial criticism, social inequality, racism, discrimination against women and the 1974 Carnation Revolution. The prize follows her recent selection as the 2026 Camões Prize winner and earlier honors such as Portugal’s Medal of Cultural Merit, the FIL prize, the Médicis award and the Pessoa Prize.

The ceremony underscores Austria’s recognition of Jorge’s versatile body of work, which spans novels, short stories, children’s literature, essays, theatre and poetry.