Looking for the best books about ancient Rome? Here are some must-read historical novels. Ancient Rome has long fascinated readers with its dramatic history, larger-than-life personalities, and complex political intrigue. From the fall of the Republic to the height of...
Looking for the best Italian novels or a guide to the Premio Strega winners? This page introduces Italy’s most important literary prize and highlights some of the finest works of modern Italian literature available in English translation. The Premio Strega or Strega...
Nobel Prize in Literature Diversity by Region and Language - In previous blog posts, I presented overviews of the Nobel Prize for Literature laureates in periods of roughly twenty-five years, covering 1901–1924, 1925–1949, 1950–1974, 1975–1999, and 2000–2025. I also...
Nobel Prize in Literature gender statistics - As the end of the year approaches, literary prizes are in the spotlight. This is a fitting moment to take a closer look at the figures behind the Nobel Prize in Literature. This article provides an overview of how many...
The French author Laurent Mauvignier has been awarded the 2025 Prix Goncourt for La Maison vide (The Empty House), a sweeping 750-page family saga. In this powerful novel, Mauvignier tells a fictionalised story inspired by three generations of women in his own family....
On 9 October 2025, the Swedish Academy awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature to the Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai, citing his “compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art.” Krasznahorkai has long been...
On 12 June 2025, it was announced that Dutch novelist Yael van der Wouden had won the 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction for her debut novel The Safekeep – a story set in the Netherlands in the early 1960s, exploring themes of sexual desire, family secrets, and the legacy of the Second World War.