The European Review of Books - Diverse auteurs / multiple authors

The jury were pleasantly surprised by this great initiative: a new literary journal that aims to stimulate the exchange of ideas between European authors and about European issues. This inaugural print edition certainly makes us hungry for more. In terms of its content (book reviews, fiction, poetry, humour, considered essays; frequently published both in English and the author’s original language) and its delightful design, which strikes exactly the right balance between serious and literary, and is both inviting and playful. From the coated linen cover with its tasteful screen print to the illustrated vignettes that enrich the articles and give a sense of unity to the whole: everything exudes serious content and quality, without being overly dry or severe. To give the reader the option of even more depth, the journal has a Japanese binding, allowing the innermost pages to provide additional information. The reader can easily tear open these pages using a finger – a simple act resulting in almost childlike joy. Some members of the jury considered the binding a slightly too literal translation of an extra layer, while others thought this a good fit for a journal that seeks to offer both depth and reading pleasure.