European Crime Fiction Star Award
Members of main jury selected
This year the European Crime Fiction Star Award (Ripper Award) is going to be
handed out for the second time. And just like the first time it is awarded in the course of Europe’s biggest international crime fiction festival "Mord am Hellweg – Tatort Ruhr", carrying a prize of 11.111 Euros.
By now the main jury has chosen five eventual winners (announcement follows). The distinguished jury members who sat down and fixed the nominees from a shortlist are: Polina Daschkowa (Russia), Jürgen Kehrer (Germany), Leena Lehtolainen (Finland), Domingo Villar (Spain) and Louise Welsh (Great Britain).
In advance publishing companies, literary journalists and institutions, agencies, crime writers, readers and literary mediators from all over Europe where asked to suggest their favorite writer for the award until the closing date of the 15th January 2010.
A pre-jury compiled a shortlist of eleven names out of the proposals. Members of the pre-jury are Dr. Herbert Knorr (Director Westphalian Office of Literature) and Sigrun Krauß M.A. (cultural institutions of the district capital Unna) of the festival management. Other members are the author Dr. Jürgen Alberts from Bremen and Niels Lange of the Westphalian Initiative Foundation, a leading sponsor beside the provident bank of Unna.
Each of the authors mentioned above (the main jury) will take responsibility for the presentation of one of the nominees and will campaign for her or him during the festival. Also, the nominees will have the opportunity to present themselves holding a reading – perhaps a very decisive one as in the end the public voting decides on the next prize winner.
The European Crime Fiction Star Award is awarded every two years to a contemporary female or male author to recognize outstanding achievement in the field of crime fiction.
The author’s work is of European importance and/or has received a significant reception within Europe.
One can look to the next honoree in the year of RUHR.2010 European Capital of Culture with keen anticipation!
More about the members of the main jury here.
