Two plays in English scoop national literature awards

The 2024 National Literary Competition has named four plays that will win cash prizes in two categories. Two of the four are in English, one is in French, and the other describes itself as multilingual.

First prize for a play written by somebody over the age of 20 goes to Charles Meder for Urd. Pièce multilingue pour un coupable, sa victime, un mannequin de vitrine, plusieurs mannequins gonflables et le public (Urd. Multilingual play for a culprit, his victim, a shop window mannequin, several inflatable mannequins, and the audience).

Meanwhile, the first (and only) prize in the under-20-playwrights’ age category goes to Aimée Dhonte, who wrote the English-language It’s Raining Cats and Dogs.

Second prize in the adult category goes to Les Bienheureux (The Blessed) by Antoine Pohu, in French.

Second Zechariah by Erik Abbott, also in English, takes third prize in the adult category.

The National Literary Competition is awarded by the culture ministry and this year’s professional jury was made up of Luc Schiltz (president), Tullio Forgiarini, Carole Lorang, Sarah Rock, and Pascal Seil.

There were 48 submissions in the adult category. The jury commended Meder’s winning play as “a play resolutely for actors”, noting that its biting humour unfolds into a “violent reckoning” with modern Luxembourgish society.

There were four submissions in the 12-19 age group. The jury commended Dhonte’s winning play as “a touching play” in which literature and fairy-tale-like poetry transform the life of the play’s teenage heroine.

The prize is a major boost for the new plays that their authors hope will push them onto the stage soon. “New talents, as well as established authors, have emerged, and I sincerely hope that their works will soon come to life on our national stages,” Culture Minister Eric Thill said in a press release.

The prize for the winner of the adult category is €7,500 and a contribution of up to €5,000 towards the publication costs of the winning work, upon presentation of a deal with a recognised publishing house. Second prize is €4,000 and third is €3,000. The under-20 category comes with a cheque of €3,000.

The 2024 National Literary Competition was reserved for plays in Luxembourgish, French, German, and/or English and the prizes will be handed out at a ceremony in early December. Next year’s competition will concentrate on novels.