Jerzy Żuławski Literary Award
Entry updated 26 May 2025. Tagged: Award.
Polish Award established in 2008 to honour the best original works of Speculative Fiction/Fantastika published in Polish language in the previous year. Eligible works must be novels of at least 150 pages, belonging to the broadly understood fantastika genre. Translations do not appear to be eligible and have never been considered for the award.
The award is seen as complementing other Polish fantastika awards such as the Janusz A Zajdel Award – a popular vote prize – by offering a more critically curated perspective. It is associated with the Polish Writers Association and several Polish universities; for a time (2015-2020) it was also supported by the Polish Ministry of Culture. It was conceived and launched by Andrzej Zimniak, sf author and chemist, who played a central role in defining the award's structure, philosophy, and selection process, and chaired its organizing committee for many years (until 2023). It is named after Jerzy Żuławski, author of the pioneering Polish-language sf trilogy Trylogia Księżycowa ["The Lunar Trilogy"] (1903-1911).
The award features a dual-phase jury process: in the first round, a body of invited critics and scholars of speculative fiction (Electors) selects a shortlist of recommended titles; in the second, a central Jury of academic and literary figures awards the Main Award as well as a Gold and Silver Citation, with the Main Award being the primary prize. The jury members are generally expected to hold at least a doctoral degree, and cannot include people associated with the publishing industry or recognized as active writers. The specific numbers vary from year to year, but on average, the Jury is composed of about a dozen individuals, and the Electors number several dozens. Former members of the Jury include, among others, Maciej Parowski. [PKo]
Winners
- 2008: Jacek Dukaj, Lód ["Ice"] (2007)
- 2009: Rafał Kosik, Kameleon ["Chameleon"] (2008)
- 2010: Michał Protasiuk, Struktura ["Structure"] (2009)
- 2011: Wit Szostak, Chochoły ["The Straw Men"] (2010)
- 2012: Jacek Dukaj, Science fiction (2011)
- 2013: Anna Kańtoch, Czarne ["Black"] (2012)
- 2014: Cezary Zbierzchowski, Holocaust F (2013)
- 2015: Paweł Majka, Pokój światów ["The Peace of Worlds"] (2014)
- 2016: Paweł Majka, Niebiańskie pastwiska ["Heavenly Pastures"] (2015)
- 2017: Krzysztof Piskorski, Czterdzieści i cztery ["Forty-Four"] (2016)
- 2018: Rafał Kosik, Różaniec ["Rosary"] (2017)
- 2019: Jacek Dukaj, Imperium chmur ["Empire of Clouds"] (2018)
- 2020: Radek Rak, Baśń o wężowym sercu albo wtóre słowo o Jakóbie Szeli ["A Tale of the Serpent's Heart or another word about Jakób Szela"] (2019)
- 2021: Wojciech Gunia, Dom Motta ["Mott's House"] (2020)
- 2022: Magdalena Salik, Płomień ["Flame"] (2021)
- 2023: Radek Rak, Agla. Alef (2022)
- 2024: Istvan Vizvary, Lagrange. Listy z Ziemi ["Lagrange: Letters from Earth"] (2023)
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