The Hestia Literary Journey competition awards authors of classic forms: novels, graphic novels, and short stories – written with young readers and readers (10-15 years old) in mind. Titles that have a chance to remain in the canon of children’s and youth literature for a long time are selected. However, only books written in Polish and published in Poland in the previous year are eligible for the competition. The second edition of the competition for the best book for children and teenagers was won by “State of Entanglement” written by Roksana Jędrzejewska-Wróbel, published by Wydawnictwo Literackie. The author received the prize of PLN 50,000.
Strangers to each other, separate, entangled in daily duties, enslaved by fears. Who could have guessed that they would become as inseparable as Harry, Hermione and Ron!
Maria. A handful of supplements and a nasty smoothie every day. “Healthy and tasty” – for sure! And for Christmas, a plastic Christmas tree from a supermarket and a catering Christmas Eve, because – as mom says – you can’t waste your life on small things.
Lena. Always with headphones on. It’s the only way to cut yourself off from people. She doesn’t really like them. And mom … Sometimes she thinks that she is rather a mother in this family. She feels old and tired. But maybe she will scratch, she used to like it …
Milosz. In a hoodie that is pulled over the head, with a large case for a cello. Separate. He doesn’t like to lean out. If only the hoodie could act as an invisibility cloak … Enough! He must be strong because “the world is not a place for the weak.”
Although they are in the same class and live in the same neighborhood, they hardly know each other. Constant pressure does not help either – end of school, eighth-grade exam and mythical points – for the certificate, Olympics, competitions and volunteering. Exactly, volunteering! Maria, Lena and Miłosz are to have it in a retirement home … and it suddenly turns out to be the beginning of something new and refreshing. An experience that will change not only them but also their families.
The award-winning author of The Little Kingdom of Princess Aurelka and the story of Ryjówka Florka, Roksana Jędrzejewska-Wróbel, this time wrote a book for a slightly older generation of young readers, although in fact State of Entanglement is an intergenerational novel.
The authors of the Hestia Literary Journey competition aim to promote novels and short stories that will have a chance to remain in the canon of children’s and youth literature for a long time. Among the books recommended by the LPH jury, there are already ten titles – books nominated in two editions of the competition. The organizers of the competition also initiate a discussion on the role and condition of children’s and youth literature in Poland – during meetings with publishers at book fairs, such as those in Warsaw and Gdańsk, reviewers and influencers talked about the nominated titles. All this to make the literature for young adults loud.
The founder of the award is Ergo Hestia. the Hestia Literary Journey competition is implemented by the Hestia Artistic Travel Foundation as part of the cooperation of Ergo Hestia and the Wisława Szymborska Foundation. It assumes long -term support of the Wisława Szymborska Foundation by Ergo Hestia. Ergo Hestia is also a strategic partner of the Wisława Szymborska and the patron of the literary residence program of the Wisława Szymborska Foundation.
ERGO Hestia Group is a pioneer of the most innovative solutions in the insurance sector. For over 30 years, it has been a credible and reliable partner offering the highest quality products and services. Every year, it provides protection to over 3 million individual customers and several hundred thousand companies and enterprises.