We in the Kontemplation team are delighted to hear today that Peter Høeg will receive the Rungstedlund Prize this year.

The award is presented by The Rungstedlund Foundation which was founded by Karen Blixen in 1958. It is awarded annually to a person who has made a special contribution, preferably within one of the fields that interested Karen Blixen, or who has otherwise earned it. The prize is donated by Hørsholm Municipality and was first awarded in 1991.

Here we share the press release issued by the Rungstedlund Foundation:

This year, the prize is awarded to author Peter Høeg in recognition of a large and distinctive body of work, where the story has both broad appeal and is innovative in its own right. From the debut work Presentation of the twentieth century (1988) above Tales at night (1990) to Miss Smilla's feeling for snow (1992), which opened to a large international audience, and most recently Through your eyes (2018) Peter Høeg has entertained and challenged millions of readers. In his belief in the authority of storytelling, in its vast global and historical scope, in his mixture of melancholy and humor, he has – with great originality – followed in Karen Blixen's literary footsteps. This makes him an obvious recipient of the Rungstedlund Prize.

”"Peter Høeg writes outside the common genres of his time, and many of his books have given rise to important debates. His writings stand as a beautiful contemporary parallel to Karen Blixen, who was also concerned with important agendas in her time. Peter Høeg is read by everyone, young and old, women and men, Danish and foreign," says chairman of the board Michael Bjørn Nellemann.

The award ceremony will take place on September 5th.

Photo: Henrik Saxgren