January 9, 2013

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Spanish author Antonio Muñoz Molina will receive the Jerusalem Prize at the 2013 Jerusalem International Book Fair, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

The fair, a biennial event that attracts dozens of Israeli and international authors as well as hundreds of publishers, will be held Feb. 10-15.

The Jerusalem Prize, which was announced Tuesday, is awarded to a writer whose work best expresses and promotes the idea of the “freedom of the individual in society.” Five authors who have won the prize subsequently received the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Molina’s books emphasize a strong bond to international culture, literature and history. Some of his work reflects the far-reaching changes that have taken place in Spain as it transitioned from dictatorship to democracy, exposing traumatic collective memories.

The judging panel noted his extensive body of writing, spanning diverse literary genres and subjects, which has won Molina widespread praise and prominent literary awards.

The Jerusalem fair hosts international seminars and symposia on such subjects as literary criticism and blogging, selling books in a digital age and translation.
 

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