International Literary Flame award to Orhan Pamuk

The Literary Flame Award for 2017 was unanimously awarded to the Turkish Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk for his "rich literary oeuvre and libertarian literary activity embodied in the struggle to place literary values, which are the basis of a humanistic view of the world, at a high level in contemporary societies and thereby become a means for defense against injustices and burdens of historical legacies".

The Literary Flame award was given to the Peruvian Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa in the founding year of 2015, and to Claudio Magris in 2016.

As stated in the explanation, the jury was looking for works and authors that unite us, as Pamuk brings another literary continent into Europe's view and connects as many as three: Asia, Europe and America.

"He was born and gained literary fame in the country that connects Asia and Europe, and today the famous Nobel laureate lives and works in America. His work presents us with a world that we know to some extent and in which we see traces of history that we know, and much that is hidden from our histories is crucial for great literary formation. Pamuk's imagination builds powerful literary bonds between the past and the present," said the jury.

The meeting of the jury for awarding the international Literary Flame award, which consists of the president, Mario Vargas Ljosa and members, professors Sonja Tomović Šundić, Siniša Jelušić and Aleksandar Jerkov, and publisher Predrag Uljarević, director of the Nova Knjiga publishing house, was held on September 10 in Podgorica.

The jury, as in its session held during the Book Fair in Podgorica, considered a large number of proposals, among which were the names of the most important contemporary world writers. The candidates were nominated by members of the jury and readers of the New Book (and almost every one of them could win this award). After considering the works of many nominated authors whose literary significance and value have already been confirmed, a decision was made at this session to award the prize.

Mario Vargas Llosa co-founder

The Literary Flame award was founded by the publishing house Nova knjiga in 2015, when it was awarded to Mario Vargas Ljosa. Vargas Llosa, in his essay after which the award was named, says that "literature is a flame that, with its artistic beauty and social activity, critical attitude and creative attitude, leads us to the idea of ​​a better world and life in it, a better man and a richer, more equal, happier society".

Mario Vargas Ljosa tied the whole of his work to the newly established prize, gave it his name and the seal of his literary oeuvre. With his publisher, New Book from Podgorica, he signed the founding charter of the award and became its co-founder, which certainly makes this international award unique in the world.