Books by Oseman, Zusak and Tokarczuk to be celebrated in the Eurovision Book Contest

Alice Oseman, Markus Zusak and Olga Tokarczuk are among the list of authors whose titles will be celebrated in the Eurovision Book Contest on the eve of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 final. 

As anticipation grows for the final on Saturday 13th May, Hay Festival unveiled a list of 37 titles. Each represents a different country, and has been selected from thousands of public submissions. 

The title selected for Ukraine was The Orphanage by Serhiy Zhadan, translated by Reilly Costigan-Humes and Isaac Stackhouse Wheeler (Yale University Press). The first volume of Oseman’s Heartstopper series (Hachette Children’s Group) was chosen to represent the UK, while Zusak’s The Book Thief (Black Swan) was on the list for Australia. Tokarczuk’s Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones (Riverhead Books/ Fitzcarraldo Editions), was picked for Poland. 

The aim of the contest is to build on the spirit of the Eurovision Song Contest, held in the UK on behalf of Ukraine, and to “emphasise the role of literature in forging understanding and empathy across borders”. 

All genres and languages were welcome, but suggestions were limited to anything published in the years since the song contest began in 1956. A special Hay Festival event on Friday 2nd June will invite audiences to discuss the selection.

Hay Festival c.e.o. Julie Finch said: “Sharing stories across borders has never felt more important and here is a list that celebrates the universality of the human experience and literature’s unique ability to connect us. Alongside our ongoing partnership with Ukraine’s largest book festival, Lviv BookForum, this collaboration with the Eurovision Song Contest celebrates the role of great literature in forging understanding and empathy globally.”

Martin Österdahl, executive supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest at the European Broadcasting Union, added: “The Eurovision Song Contest has always had storytelling and showcasing the best talent from across Europe and beyond at its core. We’re excited to partner with Hay Festival, which shares our goal of creating connections through culture.

“As we prepare to be ‘United By Music’ in Liverpool in May we look forward to seeing Europe coming together to celebrate diversity through its rich literary heritage as well.”

This year’s Hay Festival programme will feature guests including Margaret Atwood, Barbara Kingsolver, Eleanor Catton, Max Porter and Leïla Slimani.