The prize, also known in Austria as the European Literary Award, is a literary prize awarded by the Federal Chancellery for Arts, Culture, and Media to European writers. Established in 1965, the prize comes with EUR 25,000.

According to the jury, Bator received the prize for her ability to process the traumatic experience of the 20th century into complex stories, chiefly with female protagonists.

The European Literary Award is granted to authors who enjoy international recognition, and whose books have been translated into German. Bator’s books have been translated into German by Esther Kinsky and Lisa Palmes.

In 2013, Bator received the Nike Award, Poland’s top literature prize, for her novel “Dark, Almost Night”.