The Norwegian Academy of Literature and Freedom of Expression (Det Norske Akademi for Litteratur og Ytringsfrihet) is a Norwegian institution, founded by the poet Knut Ødegård in 2003, and also called Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson-Akademiet. Its objective is to promote understanding of cultures other than our own and for literary free speech. The membership includes Norwegian and foreign scholars, authors, politicians and journalists. The organization's 2016 President is Kristenn Einarsson.
The association annually awards the international (Bjørnsonprisen) which includes a cash award of 100,000 kroner (approximately €12,500).
Recipients of the award:
2004 – Vivian Fouad and Samir Morcos (Egypt), for promotion of relations between Muslims and Christians.2005 – Esma Redzepova (Republic of Macedonia), for championing the Roma people (gypsies).2006 – Hrant Dink, Editor-in-Chief of the Armenian bi-lingual weekly paper Agos (Istanbul).2007 – Adunis (pen name for Ali Ahmad Said Asbar), Syrian poet.2008 – Ola Larsmo, Swedish writer.2009 – Grigory Pomerants and Zinaida Mirkina, Russian philosophers and writers.2010 – Milan Richter (Slovakia) and Einar Már Guðmundsson (Iceland), writers.2011 – Ola Didrik Saugstad and Marte Wexelsen Goksøyr2012 Bishop Thomas of al-Qusiyya and Mair, Wojoud Mejalli and David Zonsheine, human rights activists from Egypt, Yemen and Israel2013 Yaşar Kemal, Turkish author2014 Kristin Solberg, Norwegian journalist and author2015 Edward Snowden, WhistleblowerThe prize ceremony is held in the autumn in conjunction with the annual seminar held at the historic Bjørnson house in Molde.
