Literature for Peace

The theme of peace in literary works has been recognized recently in both the US and Germany. Dayton, Ohio is probably best known for the Dayton Peace Accord, which was signed in 1995 and effectively brought an end to the Bosnian War. A "peaceful" spirit seems to have inhabited Dayton as it is also home to the Dayton Literary Prize which, according to their Web site, recognizes both fiction and non-fiction literature that has led readers to a better understanding of other cultures, peoples, religions and political points of view.

The winners, who each receive a $10,000 US prize, were announced on Sept. 23 and the awards will be handed out Nov. 8. The winner for fiction went to Richard Bausch for Peace and the award for non-fiction to Benjamin Skinner for A Crime So Monstrous. A special lifetime achievement award will be presented to Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn in recognition of their work chronicling human rights in Asia, Africa, and the developing world.

Across the pond, for the past 50 years an annual award for peace has been handed out at the German Book Tradein Frankfurt. This award, according to their site, goes to writers or scholars whose work improves understanding between rival nations and ethnic groups. On Oct. 18, it was awarded to Italian writer Claudio Magris for his writings on European diversity. In his acceptance speech he spoke of the hidden faces of war: "Any border that we look upon not as a passageway, but as a wall – as a bulwark against the barbarians – creates a latent potential for war."

Photo courtesy LinPernille via Flickr.