State Literary Award (Poland)

The State Literary Award also known as Literary Award of the Minister of Religious Affairs was a Polish literature award during the interwar period. It was awarded starting in 1925 for a work published in the previous three years. The award was given by a five-person jury, consisting of three representatives from the largest creative unions, a critic, and a representative of the ministry, all chosen by the current Minister of Religious Affairs and Public Education.

In 1933, the award was modified to recognize an author's entire body of work, with special attention to the last five years. The monetary component of the award was gradually increased, reaching 20,000 PLN in 1930, while in 1925 it was only 5,000 PLN.

The first recipient of the award (18 January 1925) was Stefan Żeromski (for Wiatr od morza [The Wind from the Sea]). In later years, the award was presented in December. The last laureate of the award during the Second Polish Republic was Artur Górski, who was honored in December 1938 for his long-standing literary work.

The Minister of Religious Affairs and Public Education also awarded similar prizes in the fields of fine arts and music.

An award with a similar name (The Badge of the State Award in Literature, often colloquially referred to as the State Literary Award) was also awarded during the Polish People's Republic by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. It was divided into three levels.