Narcis by Judith Fanto takes home top book prize

HILVERSUM - Judith Fanto tijdens de bekendmaking van de winnaar van de NS Publieksprijs in een live-uitzending van EenVandaag. De publieksprijs voor het beste Nederlandse boek wordt georganiseerd door de CPNB en gesponsord door de Nederlandse Spoorwegen. ROBIN UTRECHT / ANP

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A novel about a Dutchman living in Austria during the interwar period has been awarded the 2026 NS Public Prize.

Narcis by Judith Fanto follows Manno, who moves from Haarlem to Vienna following the death of his mother and finds a circle of friends, bonds that are tested as Hitler rises to power.

Fanto described the honour as “wonderful” during a ceremony on Thursday evening. “This appreciation from the readers is the exuberant culmination of years of work in silence,” she said.

She takes home €7,500 and a sculpture in recognition.

The award, now in its 25th edition, is a collaboration between the Foundation for Collective Promotion of the Dutch Book and Dutch railway operator NS.

More than 131,000 readers cast their votes and Narcis beat five other works, including The Superfluous by Herman Koch.

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