Bonn Literary Awards for the historical novel “Alcibiades” and for the youth story “Never Make a Best Friend” | is reading

The Bonn Literary Prizes, the most important book prizes in Flanders, were awarded for the third time in Turnhout. In the category of fictional and realistic novels, the award goes to the novel “Alcibiades” by Dutch writer Elia Leonard Pfeiffer.

The book is a trove of about 1,000 pages (of which about 300 are notes and annotations) about a Greek politician from the 5th century before our era. Alcibiades actually existed, and Pfeiffer is also based on history, but at the same time many aspects are fictional.

“An incomparable book,” according to the Bonn jury, led by Mustafa Kor. “A fictional biography. A boundless adventure novel and a philosophical and political path about our difficult dealings with democracy. The book challenges the reader and leaves him no choice: either swim or sink. Anyone who makes it to the other side will carry the book with them forever.”

“This book is also a statement. Literature is much more than smart, quick books for modern people who have little time. The fact that Alcibiades speaks to us from the fifth century BC at a time when the world trembles about what the future will hold,” says the jury. “It makes his life story more important than ever.”

First Flemish Prize for the famous Dutch author Pfeiffer

It is the first Flemish literary award won by the Dutchman Elijah Leonard Pfeiffer, who lives in Italy. His other famous novels include “La Superba” and “Grand Hotel Europe.”

The winning Alcibiades is a demanding book, but at the same time very successful: more than 100,000 copies have been sold already, and more than ten editions. It was also the second bestseller in Flanders last year.

Pfeiffer himself recorded a series of lectures or lessons on and around this book, for example on how to pronounce the name Alcibiades.

Young adult novel Never Take a Best Friend by Erna Sassen and Martin van der Linden wins the Bonn Prize for Children's and Young Adult Literature

The blessing of children's and young adult books is for Never Take Your Best Friend by writer Erna Sassen and illustrator Martin van der Linden. “How everything feels right in this book, how you want to pick it up for the next reading, how it moves you and makes you happy in its interplay of text and illustration. Its elegant composition, its clear simplicity and flair, and the authentic voice of the main character, are the praises of the jury. Who judged At least 242 posts. “It's been a bad year for children's and young adult literature.”

Erna Sassen gets inside the head of Joshua, an artistic teenager whose friends call him Rembrandt. One of the jury members asked: “How can the author express the character’s voice so well?” Difficult topics are discussed with an open mind and skill in Never Take Your Best Friend Back. “You feel that Joshua and his friends are sharpening themselves in difficult circumstances.”

Erna Sassen is a Dutch children's and young adult book actress, but also an actress, theater director and former radio presenter. I've written novels for young adults before. Painter Martijn van der Linden has been nominated twice for the Boon Prize; He also provided illustrations for Edward van de Vendel's poems in “Happy and Happy”.

Audience Awards for Elijah Leonard Pfeiffer, Elvis Peters and Sebastian Van Doninck

Readers also had an opinion. For fiction and non-fiction, they follow the jury's verdict: “Alkibiades” by Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer wins the Boon Audience Prize. Among the books for children and young people, readers chose the picture book “Look!” Written by writing duo Elvis Peters and illustrator Sebastian Van Doninck. They are the only Flemish winners. For Van Doninck, this is Boon's second Audience Award in a row; Last year he was also the crowd favorite for “Maurice” with Bart Muyart.

In a speech of thanks, the Elvis Peters duo linked the situation in the Gaza Strip. “As we celebrate children's books here, thousands of children have died in the Middle East in recent months. And they continue to do so. We would like to ask the world: Look!” (Title of the award-winning book, Editor.) What we allow to happen there. Do something, drop the weapons.

New jury presidents for Boon 2025: Ilse Dautermans and Elisabeth Lucie Payten

This year's fiction and non-fiction literature jury was chaired by the poet Mustafa Kor, and the children's and youth literature jury was Wouter Debrez. Their successors for next year have also been announced. Actress Els Dottermans will be chair of the jury for the Boon Prize for Fiction and Nonfiction, and Elizabeth Lucy Payten for Children's and Young Adult Books. She is a screenwriter and actress and became known on Instagram as “Catherine of Politics to PR”.