Ark Prize of the Free Word

The Arkprijs van het Vrije Woord (Ark Prize of the Free Word) is a symbolic award created in 1951 by Herman Teirlinck and the editorial team of the "Nieuw Vlaams Tijdschrift" (New Flemish magazine) to counteract ideologically driven restrictions on the freedom of expression.
Teirlinck wanted to spotlight those persons who actively promote the freedom of opinion. No financial reward is associated with the prize. The names of the laureates are engraved in an art object (the "Ark") kept in the AMVC in Antwerp.