Press Release Jamaica Kincaid receives Sjöjungfrun (The Mermaid Award) 2026
Jamaica Kincaid with the Sjöjungfrun statuette after the ceremony. Photo: Natalie Greppi
A literary career spanning more than 40 years is being celebrated at Gothenburg Book Fair. Jamaica Kincaid, one of the most significant literary voices of our time, has received the Gothenburg Book Fair’s literary prize, Sjöjungfrun (The Mermaid Award) 2026. Kincaid accepted the unique statuette before a packed audience at the Gothenburg Book Fair.
For more than four decades, Jamaica Kincaid has explored some of the defining questions of human experience through the lens of intimate, everyday life. Her writing examines the legacy of colonialism and the relationship between mother and daughter, power, identity and belonging – as well as gardens, plants and humanity’s relationship with nature.
Jamaica Kincaid is the third recipient of the Gothenburg Book Fair’s literary prize, Sjöjungfrun, following Joyce Carol Oates and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. This year’s Sjöjungfrun statuette was created by sculptor Elin Juberg from Vadstena, Sweden.
Upon receiving the award on the Gothenburg Book Fair’s main stage, Jamaica Kincaid said: “I am moved, I am grateful, I really don’t know what to say.”
Since making her debut with At the Bottom of the River in 1983, her unmistakable voice has reached readers around the world. Books including Annie John, Lucy, The Autobiography of My Mother, A Small Place, and My Garden (Book) have established her as one of contemporary literature’s most distinctive writers. Jamaica Kincaid’s work has been translated into more than 20 languages.
When Kincaid learnt earlier this year that she was to receive Sjöjungfrun, she said she was “very honoured and touched”. She also shared lines from the American poet Anne Spencer’s Earth, I Thank You – a poem in which language and nature meet.
The award was presented by Oskar Ekström, Director of Gothenburg Book Fair. Following the ceremony, Kincaid joined Jessika Gedin for a conversation about her work, reading and writing, and growing up in Antigua, which was a British colony during Kincaid’s childhood. And quite a lot about hats.
“Jamaica Kincaid is one of the leading voices in contemporary literature, whose works I often return to. Her writing inspires important conversations about colonialism, relationships and identity, and she has made a strong impression on readers in Sweden and around the world. It is a great honour to welcome her back to Gothenburg and to present her with Sjöjungfrun,” says Oskar Ekström, Director of Gothenburg Book Fair.
Sjöjungfrun – Gothenburg Book Fair’s literary prize
Sjöjungfrun was established to mark the Gothenburg Book Fair’s 40th anniversary and to recognise and honour international writers whose work moves and engages readers. The first Sjöjungfrun was presented to Joyce Carol Oates in 2024, followed by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in 2025. Jamaica Kincaid becomes the award’s third recipient in 2026.
The jury’s citation “Jamaica Kincaid’s books are slim, yet they make the world seem wider. In her novels and essays, she shines a sobering light on our colonial history and family relationships, as well as on the flowers in our gardens. At the same time, she imbues her work with a sensual gaze and life-affirming faith in literature. The Mermaid Award 2026 is presented to a curious writer who helps us understand what it means to be human in a world that constantly finds new ways to devalue the human.”
About Gothenburg Book Fair
Gothenburg Book Fair is the Nordic region’s largest cultural event and one of Europe’s leading book fairs. For over 40 years, Gothenburg Book Fair has promoted reading, the exchange of ideas, knowledge and learning. The Fair strengthens the role of literature in society – always with storytelling at its heart.
Gothenburg Book Fair takes place on 24–27 September 2026 at the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre in Gothenburg. The 2026 Guest of Honour is Québec, and the themes of the year are Popular Adult Education and Games.
The Games theme is organised in collaboration with Göteborg & Co and the Nordic Culture Fund. The Popular Adult Education theme is organised in collaboration with the Swedish National Council of Adult Education, the Swedish Academy, the University of Gothenburg together with Folkuniversitetet, and the Swedish Bible Society.
For further information, please contact:
Martina Johansson Head of Communications and Marketing, Gothenburg Book Fair mj@bokmassan.se +46 70 614 1996
Press photos
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Gothenburg Book Fair takes place on the 24-27 September 2026 at the Swedish Exhibition and Congress Centre.
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