The National Museum of Romanian Literature (MNLR) on Thursday presented its awards at a ceremony held during the Bookfest International Book Fair, honouring significant works in philology published in 2024 and 2025, as well as leading figures of Romanian and international literature and culture.

The ceremony was hosted by MNLR Director Ioan Cristescu.

'These awards were established 20 years ago, but two editions during the pandemic and one before the pandemic could not be held. We now find ourselves in a rather unusual situation. These are the 2024 and 2025 awards because in 2025 we were unable to present the 2024 prizes due to a government emergency ordinance. Afterwards, matters became even more complicated, and we sought a solution to ensure that this ceremony could still take place and help us return to the normality we wish not only for ourselves, but for the country as well,' Cristescu said.

The jury of the event's 17th edition comprised academician Mircea Martin (chairman), Mircea Dumitru, Carmen Musat, Oana Fotache-Dubalaru, Caius Dobrescu and Ioan Cristescu.

'These awards are different from others. They are not literary prizes, but awards that highlight what I would call the foundations of literature. They recognise achievements in metaliterature and the underlying structures of literary culture and, naturally, they celebrate excellence in what we might describe as the deeper layers of culture,' Mircea Martin said.

For 2024, the following awards were presented:

* The Perpessicius Prize for Critical Editions - Paul Cornea, Journal: 1933-2017, edited, annotated and indexed by Petrus Costea, Polirom Publishing House, Iasi, 2024;

* The Serban Cioculescu Prize for Memoirs and Literary History - Petre Mihai Bacanu, for Exit Ticket. Memoirs, Vremea Publishing House, 2024;

* The Petru Cretia Prize for Classical Philology - Stefan Ivas, for the Latin translation of Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim - Theatre, bilingual edition, Polirom Publishing House, Iasi, 2024;

* The Tudor Vianu Prize for Literary and Cultural Theory - Toma Pavel;

* The Eugen Simion Prize for Encouraging Young Researchers - Ioan Serbu, for The Brasov School, Casa de Pariuri Literare Publishing House, 2024;

* The George Calinescu Prize for Lifetime Achievement - Elena Zaharia-Filipas;

* The Eugen Lovinescu Prize for Promoting the Romanian Language and Literature Abroad - Jan Willem Bos.

* The Titu Maiorescu Prize for Major Cultural Projects and the Alexandru Cioranescu Prize for Comparative Literature were not awarded.

For 2025, the following awards were presented:

* The Perpessicius Prize for Critical Editions - Mihai Eminescu. Works. I. Poetry, second edition, critically revised and expanded, complete and chronological edition by Valentin Cosereanu, Romanian Academy and National Foundation for Science and Art, 2025;

* The Serban Cioculescu Prize for Memoirs and Literary History - Cristian Iscrulescu, for Cheerful Greetings! A History of Children's and Young Adult Literature During the Stalinist Period: 1948-1953, Vremea Publishing House, 2025;

* The Eugen Simion Prize for Encouraging Young Researchers - Alex Ciorogar, for The Rise of the Author in the Age of Digital Globalisation, Cluj University Press, Cluj-Napoca, 2025;

* The George Calinescu Prize for Lifetime Achievement - Gheorghe Grigurcu;

* The Eugen Lovinescu Prize for Promoting the Romanian Language and Literature Abroad - Bruno Mazzoni;

* The Alexandru Cioranescu Prize for Comparative Literature - Marcel Tolcea, for The Last Avant-Gardist. The Mysteries of Ionathan X. Uranus, 'Seraph and Boxer', Polirom Publishing House, Iasi, 2025.

Vremea Publishing House also received a Diploma of Excellence in recognition of its significant contribution to promoting Romania's literary and artistic history and that of Bucharest.

The Petru Cretia Prize for Classical Philology, the Tudor Vianu Prize for Literary and Cultural Theory and the Titu Maiorescu Prize for Major Cultural Projects were not awarded in 2025. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Daniel Popescu; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)