Hungarian PEN Club

Prominent members include Zsolt Harsányi, Miklós Hubay, Dezső Kosztolányi, Sándor Márai, Árpád Göncz, Gábor Görgey, and Zoltán Sumonyi.

[1] The award is named in honor of Hungarian poet Janus Pannonius (1434-1472) and is presented yearly on his birthday, August 29.

In 2012, the inaugural award was rejected by American recipient Lawrence Ferlinghetti due to concerns over human rights issues in Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, since the award is sponsored by the Hungarian government.

[1] Ferlinghetti wrote that "Since the policies of this right-wing regime tend toward authoritarian rule and the consequent curtailing of freedom of expression and civil liberties, I find it impossible for me to accept the Prize in the United States.

"[1][2][3][4] In 2013, the club announced that "To avoid similar concerns in the future, the financial part of the prize has been sourced from private donations alone.