Jónás was recognised for his short stories collection To My Fathers and My Sons and awarded a one-month writing scholarship in Vienna.
Jónás, born in 1973, writes poetry, plays and prose. He is already the recipient of many awards. In 2001, he was presented with a Soros Foundation scholarship, and in 2002 with a Herder scholarship, the same year his prose volume Gyspy Times won the International Romany Literary Competition. In 2005, Jónás was awarded an Artisjus Literary Foundation scholarship for his ?sensitive performance as a poet and a short story writer.?
Péter Esterhazy, one of Hungary?s most famous living writers, who recommended Jónás for the Herder scholarship, said of the author: ?He is full of stories about poverty, vulnerability, pain, love, the body, richness, and, once again, poverty ? full of stories and full of talent.?
A jury led by PEN Club president Jiri Grusaselected the winner of Bank Austria Creditanstalt?s Eastern European Literary Prize from nominations from ten countries. The Prize was awarded to Bulgaria?s Theodora Dimova for her novel Maiteka (Mothers), which was named novel of the year by the Bulgarian Writers? Association in 2005.
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI)
