The organizer of the Prisma Literary Award is PAGE 28, an LGBTQIA+ bookstore and cultural scene located at Claesgatan 8 in Malmö. Since 2023, Prisma has awarded authors who portray queer life across a wide range of genres, identities and experiences. The work behind the award is organized by a project group and the members of the six different jury groups. Everyone involved with the Prisma Literary Award does so without monetary compensation.

The goal of the Prisma Literary Award is to spread joy, strength and warmth in a time when the climate for LGBTQIA+ rights is growing more harsh, and LGBTQIA+ rights and people are being targeted: individually and collectively, nationally and globally. Through the Prisma Literary Award, queer literature will be given a platform and thereby provide an alternative to the current political climate which questions and threatens the existence of queer people. We want to show that queer people always have, still do and always will exist.

The foundation of the Prisma Literary Award is one of collectivism, community and solidarity. By openness, playfulness and accessibility we want to invite everyone in the queer community, regardless of identity, to a safe and welcoming place where our stories take center stage. Our solidarity includes queer stories from all over the world – despite our resources being limited we want to provide support to marginalized queer communities beyond our borders and nearest queer community.

The platform of the Prisma Literary Award will be used to highlight political issues important to queer literature. We want to give space to marginalized voices, and we want to influence literature in the Nordic countries by getting involved with current culture-political matters and create a shared space for queer, Nordic literary voices. 

The Prisma Literary Award is awarded to literary works which portray queer experiences and/or queer lives. To clarify: Experiences which go against and thereby challenges normative constructs on sexuality, gender and relationships. Prisma wishes to award and highlight literature which contributes to the literary conversation about queer lives.

The Prisma Literary Award can be awarded to literature:

• in which queer experiences are central to the literary work, or

• which gives space to queer experiences and voices which are usually not given space within or outside of, queer spaces, or

• which explores and renews the queer literature as well as shows skill in craftmanship

How the criteria are interpreted is to the discretion of each individual jury group and the groups’ specific conditions in each category.

The Prisma Literary Award is awarded in seven categories each year. The purpose being to show the variety that exists in the queer publication and inspire readers as well as librarians, bookstores and buyers to discover new, contemporary queer literature.

Some categories occur annually, and other categories occur biannually. In collaboration with the jury groups the categories are evaluated to ensure that they mirror contemporary publication.

In 2025 the Prisma Literary Award is awarded in the following categories:

• Children’s and Young Adult Literature, ages 6 and up

• Poetry

• Nonfiction 

• Novel 

• Graphic Novel / Comic Book 

• Translated literature 

Description of the categories

Children’s literature, ages 0–6: The prize can be awarded to works such as: board books, picture books, nonfiction books and experimental picture books aimed towards children within the ages of 0–6. The prize can only be awarded to literary works written in Swedish as the original language. Since 2024 the award in this category is given annually.

Children and Young Adult’s Literature, ages 6 and up: The prize can be awarded to works such as: fiction & nonfiction books, easy-to-read books and poetry aimed towards children from 6 years and older. The prize can only be awarded to literary works written in Swedish as the original language. Since 2024 the award in this category is given annually.

Novel: The prize can be awarded to fiction novels of all genres aimed towards adults. The prize can only be awarded to literary works written in Swedish as the original language. Since 2023 the award in this category is given annually.

Translated literature: The prize can be awarded to fictional literary works such as novels or poetry aimed towards adults translated from any other language into Swedish. It is the translator and the translated work which receives the award. Since 2023 the award in this category is given annually.

Biography: The prize can be awarded to works such as autobiographies, biographies and memoirs. The prize can only be awarded to literary works written in Swedish as the original language. Since 2024 the award in this category is given biannually.

Poetry: The prize can be awarded to works such as: poetry collections and other lyrical works aimed towards adults. The prize can only be awarded to literary works written in Swedish as the original language. Since 2023 the award in this category is given biannually.

Experimental Work: The prize can be awarded to works which do not fall into any of the other categories, such as: performative texts, essays, manifestos and fanzines. Since 2024 the award in this category is given biannually.

Nonfiction Literature: The prize can be awarded to works such as: dissertations, nonfiction books, reports and anthologies aimed towards adults. The prize can only be given to literary works written in Swedish as the original language. Since 2025 the award in this category is given biannually.

Graphic Novel/ Comic book: The prize can be awarded to works such as: comic books, graphic novels, fanzines and web toons aimed towards children and/or adults. The prize can only be given to literary works written in Swedish as the original language. Since 2023 the award in this category is given biannually.

Previous categories:

Children’s and Young Adult Literature: Used to be a joint category in 2023, but since 2024 the category has been split into the two categories Children’s Book of the Year (ages 0–6) and Children and Young Adult’s Literature (ages 6 and up).

Nonfiction Literature: Used to include biographies in 2023 but has since then been split into the two categories Nonfiction Book of the Year and Biography of the Year. Both are given out biannually, alternately.

Nordic Literature: The prize was awarded to fictional literary work such as novels or poetry aimed towards adults. The prize was given to literary works written in an official Nordic majority or minority language or a work translated from one official Nordic majority- or minority language to another. The prize was awarded in 2023 and 2024, but in 2025 it was decided that Prisma Literary Award will acknowledge and highlight Nordic queer literature in other ways, such as the Prisma Queer Literary Connection project.

Jury groups

Those nominated and ultimately awarded the Prisma Literary Award are selected by six jury groups. The jury groups consist of experts from within the literary field, such as: literary scholars, critics, librarians and book sellers all of whom have chosen to involve themselves without monetary compensation to celebrate queer literature. [går det att lägga in en länk eller dylikt till jurylistan här?]

Project group

The Prisma Literary Award is a nonprofit project run by 15 people united by a burning passion for queer literature. Currently there are 12 different assignments within the project group, these are:

• Project management: Amanda Dahlgren, Makz Bjuggfält

• Economy & grant applications: Amanda Dahlgren, Makz Bjuggfält

• Jury work: Ida Mascher, Idun Voulund

• Publishing house contact: Sanna Blomgren, Sally Tran

• Prizes & residences: Cornelia Carlson

• Event: Johanna Bard, Gina Dimovska, Max Gazi Bergqvist 

• Communications: Sofia Jonsson, Simone Nathanson 

• Library contact: Tove Liliequist

• Graphic design & visual communication: Emma Klang

• Webb editor: Makz Bjuggfält

• Press and newsletter: Simone Nathanson

• Prisma Queer Literary Connection: Amanda Dahlgren, Thyra Nielsen

Want to get involved? Are you interested in joining the project group? Send an email to: info@prismalitteraturpris.se

Ever since the Prisma Literary Award was founded our goal has been to support initiatives which focus on queer peoples’ lives. Either by raising money for organizations or lending our platform to marginalized voices in the queer community.

In 2023 we supported RFSL Newcomers Malmö by collecting money during our award ceremony. The fundraiser yielded 10 810 sek and Barbora Majdisova from RFSL Newcomers Malmö talked about their work at the ceremony.

In 2024 we supported the Gambian project The Orange Library and the Swedish project Pennor för Palestina by discussing the organizations and their work on our social media as well as during the award ceremony.

RFSL Newcomers Malmö is a project run by RFSL Malmö which aims to support, give guidance and provide a safe space for LGBTQIA+ individuals in Malmö and Skåne to meet at. To quote Barbora Majdisova from RFSL Newcomers Malmö:

“We need queer solidarity more than ever. The money raised will go towards food and transport tickets; a necessity for some of our members to be able to participate in our activities.”

Read more about RFSL Newcomers Malmö and how to support here.

The Orange Library is a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) community library for teenagers and young adults in Bijilo, Gambia. It was founded by Ben Camara.

The Orange Library is a library and a safe space, or as Ben writes:

 “The Orange Library is a community space, an inclusive space where we show our visitors that everyone across all spectrums is welcome, that discrimination is not tolerated. And that by giving space to others, we also receive space to be, by letting others in and allowing them to be who they are, we also get the freedom to be who we are.”

Read more about The Orange Library and how to support here.

Pennor för Palestina is a digital poetry letter that, since its founding in 2023, has been sent weekly to its subscribers. In 2024 a fanzine was published and another one is in the making.

Pennor för Palestina is a nonprofit organization, meaning all profit goes to Gaza or organizations that provide support to or highlights Palestine. A subscription costs 10 sek per week and is ordered by emailing pennorforpalestina@gmail.com

-   We (Adriaan Samson and Lova Berggren) work with different aspects of literature and writing. Literature, and its community and power, is the tool we best know how to use.

-   The initiative supports Gaza financially but additionally it is a weekly reminder of what is happening. We also send suggestions of other texts connected to Palestine and give information about dates and times for demonstrations. And of course our hope is that Pennor för Palestina becomes a meeting point where people can connect and organize further. 

Apply for press accreditation for Prisma’s award ceremony on the 8th of November by filling in the form: https://www.prismalitteraturpris.se/omprisma/press

For information about this year’s nominees contact our press mail listed below.

We will get back to you on the 2nd of November at the latest.

Contact or further questions: press@prismalitteraturpris.se ,  +46707166318.