Felix Austria, Novel by Sofia Andrukhovych, Nominated for Jean Monnet Literary Prize in France

Felix Austria, a novel by Ukrainian writer Sofia Andrukhovych, its screening taken up by FILM.UA Group, has been nominated for Jean Monnet literary prize in France. Since 1995, it has been awarded to European authors for the best book written or translated into French. The names of the winners will be announced on June 13.   

The short list of the prize also includes such European writers as Chantal Thomas (France), author of Farewell, My Queen screened in 2012 by Benoît Jacquot ; Sebastian Barry (Ireland), author of The Secret Scripture screened in 2016 under the same title; Alan Hollinghurst (UK) who won the Booker prize in 2004; Jose Carlos Llop (Spain), Jon Kalman (Iceland), and Kjell Anders Westö (Sweden).

Just a reminder: Felix Austria came out in French translation in January 2018 in Noir sur Blanc publishing house. This year, publications in Slovakia and the USA are expected. Last year the novel came out in Hungary (Typotex) and the Czech Republic (Větrné mlýny). In summer2016, Czarne publishing house issued this book in Polish, and Residenz Verlag in Austria published its German translation.

The screening rights to Felix Austria were acquired by FILM.UA Group. Presently the script is being finalized as well as arrangements with Polish co-production partners; the search for locations to film in Ivano-Frankivsk has started. The project producers are Nadiya Zayonchkovska; the screenwriter is Alina Semeryakova in collaboration with Sofia Andrukhovych. The filming is planned for 2018.

Felix Austria is set in Stanislav (current Ivano-Frankivsk) of the late 19^th and early 20^th century. It is a regular town on the outskirts of “happy Austria” where people live, suffer, love unanswered, go crazy for science and charlatan performances of world-known illusionists, have a good time at balls and carnivals, go for walks and hide their secrets in carved cabinets. Against the background of the age that is going to grow more idyllic myths around it for the descendants to cherish we see the fates of two women which are intertwined as closely as the tree trunks. This is an inseparable connection not allowing to either live or breathe, stay or go.

Awards and Prizes:

2014 — LitAccent of the Year (Felix Austria, Ukraine)
2014 — BBC Book of the Year (Felix Austria) 
2015 — Józef Konrad Korzeniowski prize (Poland – Ukraine)
2015 – Kovaliv Fund award (Felix Austria, USA)
2016 – Visegrad Eastern Partnership Literary Award (Felix Austria, Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary)