About the Blue Metropolis International Literary Grand Prix 

The Blue Metropolis International Literary Grand Prix is awarded annually to a writer of international stature and accomplishment as a celebration of a lifetime of literary achievement.  Previous recipients are:

Dany Laferrière, 2010
A.S. Byatt, 2009
Daniel Pennac, 2008
Margaret Atwood, 2007
Michel Tremblay, 2006
Carlos Fuentes, 2005
Paul Auster, 2004
Maryse Condé, 2003
Mavis Gallant, 2002
Norman Mailer, 2001
Marie-Claire Blais, 2000

The prize is unusual both in the literary quality of the authors it honours and in the substance of the contributions it recognizes. The jury wishes, with this award, to recognize a lifetime of extraordinary achievement and to present the winner of the award to the reading public of Montreal at the Festival.

The winner is chosen by a jury consisting of members of the Board of Blue Metropolis Foundation who base their deliberations on the recommendation of the Programming Committee of the Festival. The Programming Committee consists of writers, professors, literary journalists, broadcasters, booksellers and readers from francophone and anglophone milieux as well as representatives of other linguistic groups. The criteria are as follows: the winner should be a writer of international stature and achievement in the literary arts with great appeal to the Festival public in one or more of the following ways:

• an ability to speak French and English (and/or another language),
• literary work published in translation in French and English (and perhaps other languages),
• a significant Montreal readership in French and English
• a willingness to meet that Montreal public at a Festival event at which the Prize will be awarded 

Writers proposed to the jury may be of any nationality, including Canadian, they may be of any age, and they may be known for their achievements as writers in one or more of any of the literary arts (e.g. literary fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, screenwriting, translation, etc.). The award is not linked to any particular publication or production.