Bulgarian writer Georgi Gospodinov has won the 32nd Jean Monnet Prize for European Literature for his novel Death and the Gardener, further strengthening his standing on the European literary scene.
The award recognizes the French edition of the novel, titled Le jardinier et la mort, translated by Marie Vrinat-Nikolov and published by Gallimard in August 2025. The prize also honors Gospodinov‘s overall body of work.
Gospodinov was initially nominated alongside seven other European authors before being shortlisted with Irish writer Joseph O’Connor and Italian author Andrea Bajani.
Gerard de Cortanze, chairman of the jury, praised the winning novel as “a book of light against the black hole of death.”
Gospodinov welcomed the recognition on social media, noting the significance of the prize’s namesake. “Jean Monnet was one of the fathers of modern Europe, which also makes me happy,” he wrote. He also recalled several previous winners, including Antonio Tabucchi, Patrick Modiano, Angel Wagenstein, Jon Kalman Stefansson, Ian McEwan and Pascal Quignard.
Established in 1995, the Jean Monnet Prize for European Literature is presented each year to a European author for a work written or translated into French during the preceding year. The award carries a cash prize of EUR 5,000.
The official ceremony will take place on November 21 as part of the 39th Festival of European Literature in Cognac, France. Gospodinov is also scheduled to appear at the festival on November 22 for a conversation with French writer Jerome Ferrari.
The latest recognition adds to a series of major international honors for Gospodinov, one of Bulgaria’s most prominent contemporary writers. His international profile grew significantly after Time Shelter, translated into English by Angela Rodel, won the 2023 International Booker Prize.
His latest novel, Death and the Gardener, was also translated into English by Rodel and published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson in 2025. The Jean Monnet Prize now adds another major European distinction to the book and to Gospodinov‘s wider body of work.