Serhii Zhadan becomes first Ukrainian author to win Austrian State Prize for Literature

Ukrainian writer, musician, volunteer and serviceman Serhii Zhadan has been awarded the 2025 Austrian State Prize for European Literature. This is the first time a Ukrainian author has received this award, which is presented by Austria’s Federal Ministry for Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport.

Source: Austria’s Federal Ministry for Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport

Quote from Minister Andreas Babler: "Serhii Zhadan gives literary voice to the horror of war and to the invisible, all-encompassing fear. He gives back to the people of Ukraine their voice and individuality, which they risk losing in the face of Russian aggression. His work expresses what everyday language cannot. It possesses the literary power necessary to bear witness and offer hope in times of war and terror."  

Details: The Austrian State Prize for European Literature has been awarded since 1965 for the complete body of work by a European author whose writing has received significant international recognition, evidenced by translations into other languages. Eligible works must be available in German translation. The prize includes an award of €25,000.

Serhii Zhadan studied German literature and earned a doctoral degree focused on Ukrainian futurism. He has been a leading figure in Kharkiv’s youth and cultural scene since 1991.

He made his literary debut at the age of 17 and has since published twelve poetry collections and seven novels. In 2014, he won the Jan Michalski Prize for Literature and the Brücke Berlin Prize for his novel Voroshilovgrad, which BBC Ukraine later named as its Book of the Decade.

In 2022, Zhadan was awarded the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. In 2023, he was made an honorary professor of philosophy at the Ukrainian Free University in Munich.

In early June 2024, Zhadan officially confirmed that he had joined the National Guard of Ukraine. In addition to his military service, he remains active as a volunteer, raising funds for equipment for Ukrainian forces and performing at benefit concerts.

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