Olyslaegers wins Fintro Literature Prize with Wil
The best-selling Flemish novel Wil has won the region’s highest literary honour and is on its way to an English-language translation
Moral ambiguity
Wil, which was also nominated for the Libris Literature Prize this year, is the story of Wilfried Wils, who finds it difficult to navigate the moral quagmire of the Second World War in Antwerp. “We chose a book that cannot but help be seen in a societal context,” said the jury in a statement, “a book full of ambition, moral complexity and lucid language.”
The readers’ jury is made up of 100 average readers. Readers can register in advance, and the final 100 are chosen by the jury. They all read the five nominees and vote on their favourite.
The other nominees this year were first-time Flemish author Lize Spit for Het smelt (The Melting) and three Dutch authors: Richard Hemker for Hoogmoed (Pride), Donald Niedekker for Oksana and Martin Michael Driessen for Rivieren (Rivers).
Wil is being translated into English, French, German and Czechoslovakian. Het smelt is also being translated into English.
About the author
Lisa Bradshaw is the editor-in-chief of Flanders Today. She worked as an editor and journalist in her homeland, the United States, before moving to the awesome city of Ghent in 2004. If she’s not in the office, she’s probably at a film festival.
