Historians Alina Pavelescu and Serban Pavelescu were awarded the 2026 Monica Lovinescu Prize at the fourth edition of the awards ceremony held on Wednesday evening at the Romanian Athenaeum, while Romanian-British historian Denis Deletant became the first recipient of the E. Lovinescu Prize.

The inaugural E. Lovinescu Prize, worth EUR 1,000 and recognising contributions to the understanding of Romania and its culture, was awarded to Deletant for his book 'Romania sub comunism. Paradox si degenerare' (Romania under Communism: Paradox and Degeneration), translated into Romanian by Iulian Comanescu and published by Humanitas in Bucharest in 2025.

The distinction is awarded alongside the Monica Lovinescu Prize for a book about Romania written by a foreign author or a translator from Romanian who has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to supporting Romanian culture.

'A comprehensive book, a monograph on communism in Romania, from its manifestations in the interwar period to the present day, is more than necessary as the people who experienced it are passing away. The author, who holds dual citizenship and occupies an ideal position in relation to Romania, both inside and outside it, is a witness deeply committed to the humanist values defended by Western institutions. He presents the history of the Romanian Communist Party and Romania under communism in an accessible way, without falsification, as it should have been and should still be taught in schools,' said jury president, writer and literary critic Ioana Parvulescu.

She highlighted the book's 'almost exhaustive documentation, covering various areas of life', which gives the volume 'a dynamism that also comes from drawing attention to the paradoxes of communism'.

'It provides an answer for everyone who wonders how it was possible. Reading it, you realise something you may not have noticed before. Any day of the year you choose at random - think, for example, of your birthday or a public holiday - has a sinister memory attached to it: murder, torture, terror, injustice, humiliation, arrest. Pointing these things out is the first step towards justice,' the critic added.

Deletant said he had spoken to schoolchildren and university students about his book and the realities it reveals.

'And this is our educational purpose, the purpose of a teacher: to go among young people as advocates, to try to explain to them what communism was, what it meant for their parents, and to help them learn as much as possible about the past. Without memory, we remain children, and the role of teachers is to try to shed a little more light on the tragic past of Romania's history,' Denis Deletant said.

The main Monica Lovinescu Prize, worth EUR 5,000, went to historians Alina Pavelescu and Serban Pavelescu for their book 'Istoria orbilor. Romania in razboi, 1940-1945' (The History of the Blind: Romania at War, 1940-1945).

Explaining the jury's decision, Parvulescu praised the book for its willingness to confront difficult issues, its focus on the human dimension of history and the freshness and professionalism of its approach.

'Because it does not shy away from thorny issues, because it does not forget that history is fundamentally about people, and because of the freshness and professionalism of its approach, the 2026 Monica Lovinescu Prize is awarded to the book 'Istoria orbilor. Romania in razboi, 1940-1945',' she announced.

Parvulescu highlighted three qualities that made the book exceptional: its exploration of history through a wide range of human perspectives, its refusal to pass judgement on past generations and its compelling narrative, which 'reads like a novel'. She also praised its evocative portrayal of the Second World War, rich illustrations and touches of humour. The book's central message, she said, remains particularly relevant today: 'People make history, but they do not control it.' She warned that history itself, rather than artificial intelligence, should inspire greater concern because 'we cannot control it because we cannot see it'.

Alina Pavelescu said the book had been written in an attempt to return to a 'starting point' from which people could rediscover the human perspective of previous generations and, by trying to see the world through their eyes, better understand the present.

'In a way, we wrote this book under the influence of a vague awareness that I think everyone who studies history in Romania has had for some time now: that our voices may no longer matter, that those of us who try to speak to people today about the past, particularly its uncomfortable aspects, risk condemning ourselves to irrelevance. Clearly, nations, especially those that have experienced turbulent times throughout much of their history, are like adolescents who do not fully understand what is happening to them but at the same time refuse any kind of guidance, shall we say, from those who understand or believe they understand. We wrote this book in an attempt to return to a starting point, one that would allow all of us to rebuild our dignity, (...) that starting point where we could return to the purely human perspective of those who came before us, one, two or three generations ago, who made mistakes in the same ways we do, or in different ways. And perhaps, by seeing the world through their eyes, or trying to see the world through their eyes, we will manage to understand our own world better,' the historian said.

Books published between April 2025 and September 2026 were eligible for this year's Monica Lovinescu Prize.

The other shortlisted titles were Mircea Mihaies's 'Cele patru sinucideri ale Virginiei Woolf. O psihodrama' (Polirom, Iasi, 2026), Daniela Ratiu's 'Cenzurat' (Cartier, Chisinau, 2026), and Bogdan-George Radulescu's 'Spectrele ideologice ale expansionismului rusesc. Panslavismul, eurasianismul, national-bolsevismul' (Ratio et Revelatio, Oradea, 2025).

Parvulescu presented the five shortlisted books during the ceremony, with their authors also addressing the audience.

'The first characteristic of the books shortlisted for this year's Monica Lovinescu Prize is courage, in the broadest sense of the word, including the courage to undertake research, to do work that others are unwilling to take on. The second is that every one of them deserves to be translated and should be recommended reading for young people in education and for adults who 'forgot before they had a chance to remember',' the critic said.

Introducing the jury, comprising Alexandru Calinescu, Ioana Parvulescu and Razvan Purcarea, she remarked that 'with every passing year, it becomes increasingly clear that there is someone else on the jury'.

'That person is Monica Lovinescu herself. Because all three of us look to her when making our decisions. You should know that she is the one who has the right of veto,' Parvulescu said.

The audience in the Romanian Athenaeum's main concert hall also attended a discussion between philosopher Gabriel Liiceanu and political scientist and writer Ioan Stanomir entitled 'Confruntarea cu trecutul' (Confronting the Past), reflecting on the need to understand recent history to avoid repeating its traumas.

Pianist George Todica, a laureate of the George Enescu International Competition, performed Franz Schubert's Impromptu in F minor, Op. 142 No. 1, D. 935, Claude Debussy's Reflets dans l'eau and Clair de lune, followed by Frederic Chopin's Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23.

The event, hosted by cultural journalist Marius Constantinescu, was organised by the Humanitas Aqua Forte Foundation and Humanitas Publishing House.

The Monica Lovinescu Prize was established in 2023 by the Humanitas Aqua Forte Foundation, marking the centenary of the birth of one of the most remarkable women in Romania's modern history.

Unlike most literary prizes, which primarily recognise fiction, the Monica Lovinescu Prize is dedicated to non-fiction works in the humanities and ambitious, intellectually courageous undertakings, including research, critical editions and translations.

The winners of the first three editions were George Ardeleanu and Alexandra Furnea in 2023, Vlad Russo in 2024, when a special prize was awarded to Cristina Cioaba, and Alin Muresan and Clara Mares in 2025, when Vitalie Ciobanu received a special prize. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Daniel Popescu; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)