Mihaela Šumić’s novel in the competition for the European Union book reward

“The Wolf Man” – a novel by Banja Luka author and a student of the Faculty of Philology at the University of Banja Luka, Mihaela Šumić, nominated for the prestigious EU award for literature in 2025.

This award, given to exceptional modern authors across Europe, aims to emphasize the creativity and richness of contemporary European literature and encourage interest in literature.

Thirteen works are in the final selection round, while the winner of the European Union Literature Award, as well as the laureates of the two ‘special mentions’, will be announced on the 16 May 2025, in the Formal ceremony during the Prague Book Fair.

“The Wolf Man” is the first novel by Mihaela Šumić, published last year by “Imprimatur” publishing from Banja Luka. The book immediately appealed to the readers with its deep but universal topic, and style that connects elements of folklore and modern literature.

Mihaela Šumić was born in Banja Luka. In her literature career thus far, she has written poetry and columns and published translations into English, Spanish, Portuguese, and other languages. Her poetry and prose have been published on several portals, and she also participated in notable festivals, such as “Imperativ” in Banja Luka and “Rukopisi” (Manuscripts) in Pančevo (Serbia). Šumic received several literature awards, including “Čučkova knjiga” for the best first book and a regional award “Štefica Cvek”.

As a translator, Mihaela Šumić worked on significant writings, such as novels of Mexican author Fernanda Melchor, “Hurricane Season”, “Paradais”, and “Falsa Liebre”