We all know about the major Western Wordl lit prizes, but is the saying goes, there is a world beyond the West. So, let’s go on a lit journey across the globe and explore some of the most prestigious literary awards, from the aforementioned Nobel, to the storytelling traditions honored by the Nigeria Prize for Literature.

The awards listed here recognize the best in fiction, poetry, and ocasional nonfiction, since as my readers know, I’m not a big nonfiction reader, fan, call it whatever you want.

I’m spent day and days examining the lit prizes from countries across Europe, Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Oceania, and assembled the list complete with the latest winners that I could find. I will link as much of these tittles to Amazon, but bear in mind that a large majority of these books will likely never get translated into English.

I hope this guide will inspire you to dive into the world lit today and uncover the books and authors that are defining literary excellence today!

A Global Guide to Prestigious Book Awards