The Pegasus Prize for Literature is a literary prize established by Mobil (now ExxonMobil) in 1977 to honor works from countries whose literature is rarely translated into English. The prize includes a monetary award, a medal depicting Pegasus, and translation into English and subsequent publication of the work by Louisiana State University Press. As at 2024 the Louisiana State University Press lists the Pegasus Prize as an inactive series.
The country is first recommended by a committee and then an independent selection committee in the chosen nation determines the winner."Publisher's Note", p. vii in Year of the Frog by Martin Simecka (LSU Press, 1993). Representatives to the country selection committee have included Mona Simpson, Alan Cheuse, and William Jay Smith. In 1984 Mobil focussed on New Zealand alongside its sponsorship of the Te Maori exhibition in New York. The selection panel came from outside the "literary establishment" and included both Māori and non-Māori (pākehā): Sidney Mead, Peter Sharples, Anne Salmond, Terry Sturm, Elizabeth Murchie and Wiremu Parker.
Winners of the Pegasus Prize
1979 – Kirsten Thorup for Baby 1980 – Tidiane Dem for Masseni 1983 – Cees Nooteboom for Rituals 1985 – Keri Hulme for The Bone PeopleRoger Robinson and Nelson Wattie, eds. The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Literature, 1998. 1986 – Ismail Marahimin for And the War is Over 1989 – Kjartan Fløgstad for Dollar Road 1991 – Jia Pingwa for Turbulence 1993 – Martin Simecka for The Year of the Frog 1994 – Bilge Karasu for Night 1995 – Francisco Rebolledo for Rasero 1996 – Mario de Carvalho for A God Strolling in the Cool of the Evening 1998 – Ana Teresa Torres for Doña Inés vs. Oblivion
References
External links Exxon Mobil Pegasus Prize