Norwegian Academy of Literature and Freedom of Expression
The Norwegian Academy of Literature and Freedom of Expression (Det Norske Akademi for Litteratur og Ytringsfrihet) is a Norwegian institution, founded in 2003, and also called Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson-Akademiet. Its objective is to promote understanding of cultures other than our own and for literary free speech. The membership includes Norwegian and foreign scholars, authors, politicians and journalists. The organization's 2005 President is Knut Ødegård. The current members of the committee include Peter Normann Waage, Marit Bjørnson Barkbu (a descendant of Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson), Thorvald Steen, Øystein Hauge, Kristian Gerner and Kari Vogt. The chief administrator is Hilmar Windstad of Molde.
The Bjørnson Prize
The association annually awards the international (Bjørnsonprisen) which includes a cash award of 100,000 kroner (approximately €12,500).
Recipients of the award:
- 2004 - Vivian Fouad and Samir Morcos (Egypt), for promotion of relations between Muslims and Christians.
- 2005 - Esma Redzepova (Republic of Macedonia), for championing the Roma people (gypsies).
- 2006 - Hrant Dink, Editor-in-Chief of the Armenian bi-lingual weekly paper Agos (Istanbul).
- 2007 - Adunis (pen name for Ali Ahmad Said Asbar), Syrian poet.
- 2008 - Ola Larsmo, Swedish writer.
- 2009 - Grigory Pomerants and Zinaida Mirkina, Russian philosophers and writers.
- 2010 - Milan Richter (Slovakia) and Einar Már Guðmundsson (Iceland), writers.
- 2011 - Ola Didrik Saugstad and Marte Wexelsen Goksøyr[1]
- 2012 Bishop Thomas of al-Qusiyya and Mair, Wojoud Mejalli and David Zonsheine, human rights activists from Egypt, Yemen and Israel[2]
- 2013 Yaşar Kemal, Turkish author [3]
- 2014 Kristin Solberg, Norwegian journalist and author [4]
The prize ceremony is held in the fall in conjunction with the annual seminar held at the historic Bjørnson house in Molde.
References
- ↑ Bjørnsonprisen for første gong til to nordmenn (Norwegian) NRK. Retrieved 11 March 2014
- ↑ «Disse tre deler Bjørnsonprisen», NRK Møre og Romsdal, 11. oktober 2012. Retrieved 3. november 2012.
- ↑ rbnett.no Bjørnsonprisen til Yaşar Kemal 09. oktober 2013
- ↑ Bjørnsonprisen til journalist Kristin Solbergl 23. september 2014
External links
- Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson-Akademiet, official website