"Writing for CEE 2007" journalism prize for features on larger Vienna region

The 2007 "Writing for CEE" journalism prize awarded by APA and Bank Austria went to the Austrian journalist Martin Leidenfrost for his feature series "Die Welt hinter Wien" (The world behind Vienna). The second place was shared by Ana-Maria Luca from Romania and Janina Dragostinova from Bulgaria.

Winner wants to "provide a direct experience of Central Europe"

Martin Leidenfrost, winner of the 5,000 euro prize, was born in Lower Austria in 1972 and has been living in Devinska Nová Ves in Slovakia, close to the Austrian border, for three years. In his "stories from the area" he describes "the world behind Vienna" which - as he says - is "split up into four states, four official languages and dozens of ethnic groups" and is only gradually "healing the scars of the Iron Curtain". With his stories he wants to help provide a direct experience and better understanding of Central Europe. His articles were published from October 2006 to September 2007 in "Spectrum", the Saturday supplement of the Austrian newspaper "Die Presse".

Romanian and Bulgarian share second place

Ana-Maria Luca from Romania and Janina Dragostinova from Bulgaria shared the second place. Ana-Maria Luca was awarded the prize for a report on emigrants who had to leave their children behind in their home country. For the Bulgarian journalist, writer and translator Janina Dragostinova it is the second time already that she has won a CEE journalism prize. Her entry was an insightful feature that took stock of the realities in her post-Communist home country which has meanwhile joined the EU. Janina Dragostinova has also made herself a name as a translator of German literature; among the authors she has translated into Bulgarian are Juli Zeh and Ernst Jünger.

Coudenhove: "Central Europeans understand each other less and less"

At the award presentation Barbara Coudenhove-Kalergi, renowned expert on Eastern Europe, pointed to the "paradoxical situation that 18 years after the fall of the Iron Curtain we understand each other less than before." In 1989 crowds on Wenceslas Square in Prague had shouted "We want to return to Europe!" and many Austrians sympathised with the reform movement in what was then Czechoslovakia. Since then, however, "our awareness has not kept pace with developments". This also applied to "intellectuals and those in the cultural sector," said Coudenhove-Kalergi. Hard-nosed managers from the business world had been quicker to grasp opportunities.

APA boss Lang: "Overcoming boundaries"

Michael Lang, editor in chief of APA, said that there were still prejudices to be overcome in the new Europe where borders are gradually disappearing. Reducing prejudice and overcoming boundaries still remained the common goals.

European prize from Vienna - exploring European integration

The "Writing for CEE" prize was first awarded in 2004. Its objective is to encourage the journalistic investigation of issues regarding European integration. The competition is also open to journalists from the Baltic EU states, the Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova.

Links

http://www.apa.at/cee-award