On Wednesday evening (February 13th, 2013), the Golden and Platinum Book Awards for the most sold copies in 2012 and the Golden Feather Award of the literary critics were presented in the hotel Carlton in Bratislava. The prizes were handed over by the actors Marta Sládečková and Zuzana Tlučková while the show master Katka Brychtová accompanied through the evening. One of the award winners was Jozef Banáš, who received the Platinum Book Award for his novel Rat Season (Sezóna potkanov).

Besides Jozef Banáš, further most successful authors of the publishing house Ikar were awarded – Táňa Keleová-Vasilková, Andrea Coddington, Jozef Karika, Kamil Peteraj and Jozef Pavlovič.

Jozef Banáš received the prestigious award for his novel Rat Season (Sezóna potkanov), which sold 20,000 copies within the first four months after its release. “I am happy to have received this award. It gives a special meaning to my writing, and at the same time it encourages me to continue working on myself,” the author said, whose books were translated into many languages including the exotic language of Hindi (Zone of Enthusiasm). “And I am happy that we have politicians who continuously supply me with topics to write about,” Jozef Banáš smiled. Supposedly he likes principled politicians who, once they start steeling, do not stop any more.

The Golden Book Award is presented to an author whose book has sold at least 15 thousand copies; the Platinum Book Award goes for 25 thousand sold copies. Each winning author received an original statue made by the artist Mária Banášová.