Dear all,
My name is Trude Storheim and I am State Secretary in the Ministry of Culture and Equality.
I am glad to be here today. This annual prize was presented as a gift from the Norwegian Ministry of Culture to the Norwegian Authors Union on the occasion of the Union’s 100th Anniversary in 1993.
The prize is awarded to an author who has made outstanding efforts to promote freedom of expression and tolerance in the very broadest sense.
The first Freedom of Expression Prize was awarded to the palestinian writer Izzat al-Ghazzawi in 1994. In 2025 this price is more relevant than ever.
With awards like this one we are being made aware of the threats against and importance of freedom of speech and the importance om maintaining it. For
everyone who wants to state their opinion. For writers that should never be silenced.
In many countries, freedom of expression is under severe pressure. Government-sanctioned censorship of internet and media channels is a growing problem. And in many parts of the world, writers are being harassed to prevent them from writing freely.
The climate for freedom of expression, and the space, in which it is exercised is rapidly changing. Generative AI, disinformation, and wars are just some challeging examples. Maintaining and developing an open and enlightened public discourse requires continuous attention, awareness, and effort.
Art and culture are expressions. And it is expressions that can have explosive power – to change both how people think and feel, and in some cases to change political decisions and the very development of society.
An open and informed public conversation trains the ability to tolerate. Tolerance for the expressions and opinions of others is a prerequisite for free opinion formation – that is, for us to be able to absorb new information, listen to new arguments, take a position on political or other social issues and possibly change our position.
The more diverse society becomes, the greater the chance of encountering expressions that we do not like or understand, and the more important this function of freedom of expression becomes.
The Freedom of Expression Prize 2024 is awarded to two authors who has made outstanding efforts to promote freedom of expression and tolerance in the very broadest sense.
I want to express my highest respect and admiration for the winners of the Norwegian Authors Union Freedom of Expression Prize. They are both examples of how freedom of expression is an utmost necessity.
As you have understood, two prizes are awarded for 2024. And the winners are: Adania Shibli and Mosab Abu Toha.
Toha is not here today to receive the award in person. But we will be watching a video with his acceptance speech.
I congratulate the two brilliant authors and thank you for your courage and your ability to portray the suffering that must be exposed to the world.