Ian
McEwan has been awarded the $10,000 Jerusalem Prize. Israel's highest
literary honor for foreign writers is given biennially to an author
whose work best expresses and promotes the idea of "freedom of the
individual in society." McEwan will be honored Thursday during the
opening of the Jerusalem International Book Fair.
"McEwan’s
protagonists struggle for their right to give personal expression to
their ideas, and to live according to those ideas in an environment of
political and social turmoil," the jury said. "His obvious affection for
them, and the compelling manner in which he describes their struggle,
make him one of the most important writers of our time. His books have
been translated into many languages and have enjoyed world-wide
success--particularly in Israel, where he is one of the most widely-read
of foreign authors. For his love of people and concern for their right
to self-realization, and in recognition of his artistic achievements, we
have decided to award Ian McEwan the Jerusalem Prize for the Freedom of
the Individual in Society."