Anjet Daanje from Groningen has won the thirtieth Libris Literature Prize, the award for the best novel of 2022. She received the prize for her book The song of stork and dromedary. Daanje was the clear winner. She also previously received the Boekenbon Literatuurprijs. It’s rare for a writer to win both awards for the same book.
Jury chairman Beatrice de Graaf announced the winner during the annual dinner of the Foundation Literature Prize. The announcement was broadcast live during the current affairs programme ‘ News hour’.
The prize includes a check for 50,000 euros and a bronze medallion designed by Irma Boom.
It was not very surprising that Daanje won the prize. ‘The song of stork and dromedary’ was the most discussed, most acclaimed and most sold book of the six nominees. Translations into German, French, Italian and Czech are in progress.
‘The song of stork and dromedary is a kaleidoscopic novel of great class’, the jury writes in the report. ‘Daanje puts the imagination to work in her novel in an impressive way. Predictions, symbolism, horror, an enigmatic notebook that keeps popping up: a range of literary techniques are used to disrupt and interpret.’
The jury is lyrical about the book and also about Daanje’s working method. ‘Anjet Daanje is an author who does not seek publicity, but rather avoids it. Who would rather write than talk. She communicates through her work and thus encourages her readers to dig and interpret.’
Short list
‘The song of stork and dromedary encompasses everything that excellent literature has to offer’, says the jury report. ‘Wonderful descriptions of nature, beautifully composed sentences, idiosyncratic sentence constructions, romantic poetry and a meaningful content. It is an extraordinary novel that touches the heart and the head. And who gives meaning to the mysterious cycle of life and death through the imagination.’
Daanje was shortlisted for the Libris Literature Prize together with five other writers. ‘Man without a driver’s license’ by Oek de Jong, ‘True descriptions from the permafrost’ by Donald Niedekker, ‘People are everywhere’ by Yves Petry, ‘The event’ by Peter Terrin and ‘Interim’ by Peter Zantingh were also nominated. A place on the shortlist is good for 2500 euros prize money.