The Tranströmer Prize was established by Västerås city in 1997 to honor the poet Tomas Tranströmer, who lived in Västerås between 1965 and 2000. Awarded every other year, the prize carries a monetary award of 200,000 kronor and is given to a poet selected by a jury. Tomas Tranströmer was a permanent member of the jury and actively participated in its work as long as he lived, with the prize's purpose being to reward a high-quality authorship in his spirit.
Eligibility for the prize typically requires the recipient to be a poet from the Nordic region or another country bordering the Baltic Sea, though in exceptional cases it can be given to an author outside this geographically specified area. Ann Jäderlund, the 2026 recipient, was born in Stockholm in 1955 and is a poet who has published several poetry collections since her debut with 'Vimpelstaden' in 1985. She has also published two children's books, written drama, and translated several foreign poets into Swedish, including Emily Dickinson, establishing herself as a leading poet with a highly personal style and form.
The prize ceremony will be held on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at 1:00 PM, in connection with the Västerås Literature Festival, and the public and media are welcome to attend. Past recipients include Gyrðir Elíasson in 2024, Lennart Sjögren in 2022, Louise Glück in 2020, Eva Runefelt in 2018, Sirkka Turkka in 2016, Lasse Söderberg in 2014, Durs Grünbein in 2012, Kjell Espmark in 2010, Robert Bly in 2008, Lars Gustafsson in 2006, Inger Christensen in 2004, Bengt Emil Johnson in 2002, Adam Zagajewski in 2000, and Vizma Belsevica and Knuts Skujenieks in 1998.