Nordic Council Literature Prize winner Vónbjørt Vang of the Faroe Islands was announced on 21 October 2025, marking the first Faroese victory in 39 years; the Faroe Islands also won the Nordic Council (Nordisk Råd) Film Prize, underscoring the archipelago’s growing cultural profile ahead of the awards ceremony in Stockholm on 28 October.
Faroese breakthrough in literature and film
The literature prize goes to Vónbjørt Vang for the poetry collection Svørt orkidé (“Black Orchid”), published in 2023. It is the first time since 1986 that a Faroese author receives the Nordic Council Literature Prize, and it is the first time a Faroese film has been nominated for—and won—the Film Prize.
The winning film, Seinasta paradís á jørð (“The Last Paradise on Earth”), is directed and written by Sakaris Stórá, with screenwriters Mads Stegger and Tommy Oksen, and produced by Jón Hammer.
What the jury highlighted in ‘Svørt orkidé’
According to the jury, Svørt orkidé explores a mother’s fear of losing connection with her teenage son as he grows up and “may be drifting off course.” The collection conveys anxiety, helplessness and the changing bond between parent and child, with spare language and precise imagery.
These themes, central to Vang’s third collection, align with the prize’s aim to honour high literary and artistic standards across the Nordic languages.
Other 2025 winners across the Nordic Council prizes
Beyond literature and film, the Nordic Council also announced:
- Children and Young People’s Literature Prize to Sara Lundberg (Sweden) for the picture book Ingen utom jag.
- Music Prize to Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson.
- Environment Prize to Denmark’s Grønne Nabofællesskaber (Green Neighbourhood Communities) under the theme “Civil society’s green contribution.”
Why this matters for the Faroe Islands and Nordic culture
The double win highlights Faroese literature and cinema within the broader Nordic cultural field. It follows earlier Faroese recognition in literature in 1986 and signals sustained investment in small‑language arts.
For Nordic audiences, this year’s prizes reinforce the region’s commitment to linguistic diversity, new voices and cross‑border cultural collaboration.
