Polish Nobel laureate Olga Tokarczuk has been awarded the 2026 Halldór Laxness International Literary Prize, Iceland's prestigious international literary accolade. The award was presented on September 10, 2026, by Logi Einarsson, Iceland's Minister of Culture, Innovation and Higher Education, during a public ceremony at The Nordic House in Reykjavík.
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This biennial prize honors an international author for their significant contributions to narrative art, reflecting the criteria that led to Halldór Laxness winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1955. The prize has previously recognized notable authors such as Ian McEwan (2019), Elif Shafak (2021), Andrey Kurkov (2022), and Salman Rushdie (2024).
The selection committee for the 2026 prize included Salman Rushdie, journalist Egill Helgason, and Stella Soffía Jóhannesdóttir, Chair of the Reykjavík International Literary Festival. Rushdie praised Tokarczuk, stating, "Olga Tokarczuk is, quite simply, one of the world's greatest living writers. In her work, we find tragedy, comedy, history, and irony uniting in a completely delightful literary cocktail. I'm very pleased that she has accepted the Laxness prize. Her acceptance is a prize for us all."
The Halldór Laxness International Literary Prize is jointly awarded by the Reykjavík International Literary Festival, the Icelandic Ministry of Culture, Innovation and Higher Education, Business Iceland, Gljúfrasteinn – Laxness Museum, and Forlagið, the Icelandic publisher of Halldór Laxness. The Nordic House is an official partner of the 2026 award.
The Reykjavík International Literary Festival, a significant literary event since 1985, celebrates reading and promotes discussions on freedom of expression and human rights.