Helena Vaz da Silva Award Ceremony 2026 – Lisbon and online

The acclaimed British-Turkish author Elif Shafak will receive the Helena Vaz da Silva European Award for Raising Public Awareness on Cultural Heritage 2026 at a ceremony on 5 November at the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, Portugal. This European recognition pays tribute to Elif Shafak’s exceptional ability to bring Europe’s rich and diverse cultural heritage to life through her captivating storytelling, while responding to the challenges of our time with a powerful call for defending democracy, promoting solidarity, embracing cosmopolitanism and celebrating cultural diversity.

 

The Award Jury highlighted: “Eli Shafak’s writings bring to life the richness and complexity of our cultural memory and identity, connecting in a most imaginative way our past, present and future. By giving her unique voice to diverse histories, traditions and perspectives, Elif Shafak invites readers to discover, understand, value and care for the heritage we share. At a time of growing anxiety and polarisation, she reminds us that cultural diversity is a source of strength and beauty, and that storytelling can build bridges across many divides. She also invites each and everyone to engage in upholding the fundamental values of democracy and solidarity.”

The Helena Vaz da Silva European Award was established in 2013 by the Centro Nacional de Cultura (Portugal) in collaboration with Europa Nostra and the Portuguese Press Club, and has the support of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and Tourism of Portugal.

The programme of event and the link to follow the livestream in English will be published shortly.