Yasnaya Polyana Literary Award

Yasnaya Polyana Literary Award
Logo
Awarded forthe best traditional-style novel
CountryRussia
Presented byYasnaya Polyana, Samsung Group
Reward(s)6.7 million RUB
First awarded2003
Websiteyppremia.ru

The Yasnaya Polyana Literary Award is an annual all-Russian literary award that was founded in 2003 by the Leo Tolstoy Museum Estate and Samsung Electronics. It is presented to the best traditional-style novel written in Russian or translated into Russian.

The award maintains classical literature traditions by commemorating the authors of outstanding works and also supports contemporary literarure by noting talented writers. These two aspects allow the award to remain balanced and harmonious.

As of 2024, the award categories are:

  • Modern Russian Prose
  • Foreign Fiction
  • New Adult / Youth
  • Personality of the Year
  • Missed Masterpiece
  • Readers' Choice
  • Yasnaya Polyana School of Criticism Review

Modern Russian Prose and Foreign Fiction are considered the two most esteemed categories by the award maker. Most of the categories go through multiple stages of decision, including a longlist and shortlist by a jury. The Readers' Choice is determined by popular vote online.

Background

Originally, until 2005, there were only two categories: an Outstanding Work of Russian Fiction and an Outstanding Debut in Russian Fiction. These were renamed Contemporary Classic and 21st Century, respectively. In 2012 (the award's 10-year anniversary), another category was added to the award – Childhood, Boyhood, Youth, named after Leo Tolstoy's semi-autobiographical trilogy of novels.[1][2][dead link‍]

A fourth category, Foreign Fiction, was added in 2015, and the fifth, Readers' Choice, in 2016. In 2017, Contemporary Classic was renamed Contemporary Russian Fiction, the Event category was added, and Childhood, Boyhood, Youth abandoned. Notably, 21st Century was never provided again.

The award's fund doubled since 2010. Currently, it amounts to 6,700,000 ₽,[as of?] making it the largest endowment of any literary award in Russia.[citation needed] The Readers' Choice winner is awarded with a theme trip to South Korea, presented by Samsung. All winners receive a special statuette.[3]

Recent years

In October 2023, the jury announced the winners of the 21st awards,[4] renaming Event to Personality of the Year, and adding a category for Missed Masterpiece, meaning a work that flew under Russian critics' radar until a recent translation made it more notable. The monetary fund of 6,700,000 ₽ was distributed to the honorees:[5]

  • the winner of the Modern Russian Prose award receives 3,000,000 ₽, while 1,000,000 ₽ is divided between the finalists.
  • a sum of 1,200,000 ₽ goes to the Foreign Fiction laureate, while the work's translator gets 500,000 ₽.
  • another 250,000 ₽ is given to the Personality of the Year.
  • the remaining 250,000 ₽ goes to the translator of the Missed Masterpiece.
  • the Readers' Choice winner is awarded with a theme trip to South Korea, presented by Samsung.

In October 2024, the jury is set to announce the winners of the 22nd awards. A category called "Youth", which aims to highlight works targeting young adults, has been added.[6] The longlists and shortlists were announced between May and September 2024.[7][8][9] The monetary fund of 6,700,000 ₽ will be distributed to the honorees:[10]

  • the winner of the Modern Russian Prose award receives 3,000,000 ₽, while 1,000,000 ₽ is divided between the finalists.
  • a sum of 1,200,000 ₽ goes to the Foreign Fiction laureate, while the work's translator gets 500,000 ₽.
  • the winner of New Adult / Youth gets 400,000 ₽
  • another 250,000 ₽ is given to the Personality of the Year.
  • the remaining 250,000 ₽ goes to the translator of the Missed Masterpiece.
  • additionally, the Readers' Choice winner is awarded with 100,000 ₽ and a theme trip to South Korea, presented by Samsung.

The jury

The jury, which consists of famous writers, critics and literature experts, select authors whose works preserve the traditions of classic literature and, at the same time, represent the relevant trends of modern Russian and foreign literature.

Yasnaya Polyana jury members include famous Russian writers, literary critics and public figures. As of 2020 there are:

Winners[12]

2003 — 2005

Year Outstanding Work Outstanding Debut
2003 Viktor Likhonosov Vladislav Otroshenko
2004 Timur Zulfikanov Anton Utkin
2005 Anatolij Kim Alexander Yakovlev[13]

2006 — 2011

Year Contemporary Classics 21st Century
2006 Vasily Belov Alexey Ivanov[14]
2007 Leonid Borodin Zakhar Prilepin[15]
2008 Petr Krasnov Ljudmila Saraskina
2009 Vladimir Lichutin Vassilij Golovanov
2010 Mikhail Kuraev Mikhail Tarkovsky[16]
2011 Fazil Iskander[17] Yelena Katishonok

2012 — 2014

Year Contemporary Classics 21st Century Childhood, Boyhood, Youth
2012 Valentin Rasputin Evgenij Kasimov Andrey Dmitriev
2013 Yury Bondarev Evgenij Vodolazkin Yury Nechiporenko[18]
2014 Boris Ekimov Arsen Titov Roman Senchin[19]

2015 — 2016

Year Contemporary Classics 21st Century Childhood, Boyhood, Youth Foreign Fiction Readers' Choice
2015 Andrei Bitov Guzel Yakhina Valery Bylinsky Ruth Ozeki, Ekaterina Ilyina (translator) Guzel Yakhina
2016 Vladimir Makanin Narine Abgaryan,

Alexander Grigorenko

Marina Nefyodova Orhan Pamuk, Apollinaria Avrutina (translator) Narine Abgaryan

Since 2017

Year Contemporary Russian Fiction Foreign Fiction Event Readers' Choice
2017 Andrei Rubanov Mario Vargas Llosa, Kirill Korkonosenko (translator) "LiteraTula" Children's Book Fair Oleg Yermakov
2018 Olga Slavnikova Amos Oz, Victor Radutski (translator) Story of One Appointment (film) Maria Stepanova
2019 Sergei Samsonov Hernán Rivera Letelier, Darya Sinitsina (translator) The Glass Bead Game (literary TV show) Grigori Sluzhitel
2020 Evgeniy Chizov Patricia Duncker, Alexandra Borisenko and Victor Sonkin (translators) Oleg Pavlov Sasha Filipenko
2021 German Sadulaev Julian Barnes, Dmitry Simanovsky and Sergei Polotovsky (translators) Каждый день сначала. Валентин Распутин и Валентин Курбатов: диалог длиною в сорок лет Marina Stepnova
2022 Dmitry Danilov Yu Hua, Yuliya Dreyzis (translator) Islam Hanipaev

See also

References

  1. ^ "Samsung and Rose: Preserving literary traditions with the "Yasnaya Polyana" Leo Tolstoy award for literature".
  2. ^ "Newsletter".
  3. ^ Yasnaya Polyana Literary Award Regulations. (in Russian).
  4. ^ "Названы лауреаты 21-го сезона премии «Ясная Поляна»". yppremia.ru (in Russian). 2023-10-04. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  5. ^ "The Yasnaya Polyana Literary Award Announces the Start of its 21st Season". yppremia.ru. 2023-02-07. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  6. ^ "New nomination "Youth"". yppremia.ru (in Russian). 2024-02-27. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  7. ^ "Объявлен короткий список номинации «Иностранная литература» 22 сезона". yppremia.ru (in Russian). 2024-05-21. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  8. ^ "Объявлен список новой номинации «Молодость» 22 сезона". yppremia.ru (in Russian). 2024-07-18. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  9. ^ "Finalists of the 22nd season of the Yasnaya Polyana awards have been announced". yppremia.ru (in Russian). 2024-09-03. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  10. ^ "Премия «Ясная Поляна» начинает прием заявок на 22 сезон". yppremia.ru (in Russian). 2024-01-26. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  11. ^ Yasnaya Polyana Literary Award — The Jury. (in Russian)
  12. ^ "Лауреаты / Литературная премия "Ясная Поляна"". www.yppremia.ru. Archived from the original on 2013-10-23.
  13. ^ "Захар Прилепин. Официальный сайт писателя".
  14. ^ "Объявлены лауреаты литературной премии "Ясная Поляна" - Газета.Ru | Новости".
  15. ^ "Захар Прилепин получил премию "Ясная Поляна"".
  16. ^ "ДОСКА ПОЧЕТ▲ - 20 Июня 2010 - Геополитика".
  17. ^ "The prize "Yasnaya Polyana" was awarded to Fazil Iskander | Abaza Country". alashara.org. Archived from the original on 2014-12-10.
  18. ^ "Обмолвка Шайтанова | Номер 41 (2013) | Литературная Россия". litrossia.ru. Archived from the original on 2013-10-14.
  19. ^ "Литературная премия "Ясная Поляна" объявила лауреатов".