Recipient Amarte Literature Prize

The first Amarte Literature Prize was awarded to Julien Ignacio for his novel Goudjakhals, published by Uitgeverij van Oorschot in September 2023. The prize was awarded during Amarte Wonderland, a festive evening in Theater de Krakeling (Amsterdam) where artists from various disciplines were represented. After the award ceremony, the nominated writers raised their glasses to the winner at the book table in the foyer.

The Amarte Foundation wants to encourage writers to challenge themselves and try something new. The Amarte Literature Prize was created to highlight a book that plays with or explores the boundaries of literary conventions. Julien Ignacio's book does just that: "Goudjakhals breaks through insular thinking and connects the reader in an uncomfortable, then merciless way to the worlds we inhabit. The writer plays literary high stakes and, as far as the jury is concerned, succeeds brilliantly," according to the independent jury, which also addressed all the other nominees individually. See the full jury report here (in Dutch).

The Amarte Literature Prize consists of a sum of €15.000, making it one of the largest literary book prizes in the Netherlands. In addition to a cash prize, the winner receives a trophy crafted by an up-and-coming visual arts talent, and an essayistic review of the winning book is published in the Dutch Book Guide. This year's trophy was created by Larissa Esvelt, whose work, in her own words, responds to the complexities arising from "the overlapping of fact and fiction." The trophy depicts the imaginary world that emerges between the two covers of the book while transcending its physical limitations.