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VILNIUS, Sep 29, BNS - Lithuanian writer Laura Sintija Cerniauskaite and another 11 European authors were awarded the European Union's (EU) literature prizes, the European Commission's (EC) mission in Lithuania and the Foreign Ministry said.

The prize was awarded to Cerniauskaite's first novel Breathing in  to Marble published by Alma Littera publishing house. The awards ceremony in Brussels on Monday was attended by the EC President Jose Manuel Barroso, Commissioner in charge of education and culture Jan Figel and officials of EU's presiding country Sweden.

Unlike other existing literature prizes, the new prize emphasizes and promotes diversity of literature in Europe. The prize will be awarded in three stages: in 2009, 2010 and 2011, with 11 or 12 winners picked every year. Consequently, pieces of literature from all 34 nations participatingin the Culture program will be awarded over three years.

Every winner will receive prizes of 5,000 euros. Furthermore, translation of literature is supported under the Culture program. "This prize spotlights the excellence of literary talents in Europe andall they have to offer. It underlines Europe's strength in the quality and creativity of its literary output.

The prize is aimed at getting the works of new authors off the book shelves and into the hands and hearts of people across Europe," the EC said in a press release. 2009 winners were picked with the help of national commissions, which selected one work of modern fiction literature written by the country's authors.

Cerniauskaite's novel will be presented at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October. Cerniauskaite, writer and playwright, was born in 1976. Plays staged according to her novels have won contests in Lithuania and the Berlin theater festival Theater treffen in 2004. Cerniauskaite is a member of Lithuania's Writers Union since 2004.