The German Book Prize 2021

tiganeasca

tiganeasca

Moderator
Leseratte started this thread for the 2021 prize so I decided to look into it a bit more since I know nothing about it. According to the highly reliable and always completely accurate Wikipedia (;)), the prize "is awarded annually [by]...the German publishers and booksellers association, to the best new German language novel of the year. The books, published in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, are nominated by their publishers.... The winner is awarded €25,000, while the five shortlisted authors receive €2,500 each." It was first awarded in 2005.

With all that in mind, I was astonished to discover how few of the winners' names I even recognized (three to be embarrassingly honest):
  • 2005 Geiger, Arno. Es geht uns gut [We Are Doing Fine].
  • 2006 Hacker, Katharina. Die Habenichtse [The Have-Nots].
  • 2007 Franck, Julia. Die Mittagsfrau [The Blindness of the Heart].
  • 2008 Tellkamp, Uwe. Der Turm [The Tower].
  • 2009 Schmidt, Kathrin. Du stirbst nicht.
  • 2010 Abonji, Melinda Nadj. Tauben fliegen auf [Fly Away, Pigeon].
  • 2011 Ruge, Eugen (2011). In Zeiten des abnehmenden Lichts [In Times of Fading Light].
  • 2012 Krechel, Ursula. Landgericht.
  • 2013 Mora, Terézia. Das Ungeheuer.
  • 2014 Seiler, Lutz. Kruso [Kruso].
  • 2015 Witzel, Frank. Die Erfindung der Roten Armee Fraktion durch einen manisch-depressiven Teenager im Sommer 1969
  • 2016 Kirchhoff, Bodo. Widerfahrnis.
  • 2017 Menasse, Robert. Die Hauptstadt [The Capital].
  • 2018 Mahlke, Inger-Maria. Archipel.
  • 2019 Stanišić, Saša. Herkunft [Where You Come From].
  • 2020 Weber, Anne. Annette, ein Heldinnenepos.
  • 2021 Strubel, Antje Ravik. Blaue Frau
You can find another article on this year's winner on the Deutsche Welle website.
 
Leseratte

Leseratte

Well-known member
tiganeasca said:
Leseratte started this thread for the 2021 prize so I decided to look into it a bit more since I know nothing about it. According to the highly reliable and always completely accurate Wikipedia (;)), the prize "is awarded annually [by]...the German publishers and booksellers association, to the best new German language novel of the year. The books, published in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, are nominated by their publishers.... The winner is awarded €25,000, while the five shortlisted authors receive €2,500 each." It was first awarded in 2005.

With all that in mind, I was astonished to discover how few of the winners' names I even recognized (three to be embarrassingly honest):
  • 2005 Geiger, Arno. Es geht uns gut [We Are Doing Fine].
  • 2006 Hacker, Katharina. Die Habenichtse [The Have-Nots].
  • 2007 Franck, Julia. Die Mittagsfrau [The Blindness of the Heart].
  • 2008 Tellkamp, Uwe. Der Turm [The Tower].
  • 2009 Schmidt, Kathrin. Du stirbst nicht.
  • 2010 Abonji, Melinda Nadj. Tauben fliegen auf [Fly Away, Pigeon].
  • 2011 Ruge, Eugen (2011). In Zeiten des abnehmenden Lichts [In Times of Fading Light].
  • 2012 Krechel, Ursula. Landgericht.
  • 2013 Mora, Terézia. Das Ungeheuer.
  • 2014 Seiler, Lutz. Kruso [Kruso].
  • 2015 Witzel, Frank. Die Erfindung der Roten Armee Fraktion durch einen manisch-depressiven Teenager im Sommer 1969
  • 2016 Kirchhoff, Bodo. Widerfahrnis.
  • 2017 Menasse, Robert. Die Hauptstadt [The Capital].
  • 2018 Mahlke, Inger-Maria. Archipel.
  • 2019 Stanišić, Saša. Herkunft [Where You Come From].
  • 2020 Weber, Anne. Annette, ein Heldinnenepos.
  • 2021 Strubel Antje Ravik. Blaue Frau
You can find another article on this year's winner on the Deutsche Welle website.
Click to expand...
I find the German output immense. It is very difficult to keep even partially pace with it. Were Brazil modestly presents maximally 10 new authors, I think there must be at least 100 new good authors writing in German to generate a long list with 20 titles. \but not all of this titles are translated.
From these winners I myself only read:
  • 2007 Franck, Julia. Die Mittagsfrau [The Blindness of the Heart].
  • 2015 Witzel, Frank. Die Erfindung der Roten Armee Fraktion durch einen manisch-depressiven Teenager im Sommer 1969 (Sort of: The Invention of the Red Army Fraction by a manic-depressiv Teenager in the Summer of 1969) I think it´s the most original of all, but I don´t know if it´s ever going to be translated. About 800-1000 pages and a very complex structure consisting of several alternating threads. A bit in the Murnane direction, trying to find the best language to state its subject. Not only a certain landscape but also a certain time, and a certain group of teens, the German post-war generation between its stifling war inheritance and a fascination for the Baader–Meinhof Gang, a West German far-left militant organization founded in 1970.
  • 2018 Mahlke, Inger-Maria. Archipel. A novel that takes place in Tenerife.
  • 2019 Stanišić, Saša. Herkunft [Where You Come From].

Thanks for expanding the subject, I wasn't sure of the interest in it.
 
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